Difference-Maker
by VGS2 the sexy sausage
Summary: For weeks now, Pikachu has enjoyed the company of Buneary, his cutesy companion. However, on one fateful day, many different truths are revealed, turning everything on its head. [PikaBun fluff!]
1. Meeting Some Pals

**Quickie Author's note:** Surprised to see this fic again? I don't blame ya. It's certainly gone through a rollercoaster ride of changes, hasn't it…? XD

For the longest time, I've been wondering what to do with this fic, as ya know. It began as A Game-Changing Day… then I changed it to Game-Changer… then I cut it short so I could make a completely rebooted version (which you can find on my profile, if ya didn't know already!). Cutting this one short, I gave it a parody ending, but kept all the old content… but then I cut everything and then made it a self-parodying fic… but now, I finally know what to do with it to make everyone and myself happy. _I'm finishing it!_ With a little extra/altered content, at that!

"What the frick!?" you ask? Well, Game-Changer's changed (fufufu) so much that it barely even resembles the older content that you'll see in this fic. There'll be many similar moments and elements, o'course, but for the most part, it's so different that I figured… why not? I shall complete this, though with a different ending to what was originally planned! As a result, it is now a completely different beast to Game-Changer. Ergo, it is no longer the older version of that fic. It is now **Difference-Maker!** A fic with a different plot and a different ending to the other fic!

In any case… I hope you enjoy it! c:

 **PS:** If you wanna review - which you should if you want my respect forever, if you please - feel free! Though be wary that if you've already reviewed chapters 1-3 before they were nuked from life, Fanficdotnet won't let you do it again on those same chapter numbers. If that's the case, feel free to do it on chappie 4, if you wish (once it's uploaded, anyway). Or maybe you could log out and post your review as a guest. Whatever works, as long as you let me know your thoughts, you sexy people!

 **Tl;dr:** **This fic's gonna get finished at long last, though with a different ending to Game-Changer, the fic that originally replaced this one! Praise Gsauce! :D**

* * *

 **Arc I:** _A Different Meeting_

 **Chapter 1:** _Meeting Some Pals_

* * *

Pikachu couldn't stop beaming, no matter how hard he tried. When he and Ash had been invited over to Cynthia's beach villa, he hadn't expected to be meeting all of his old friends from Dawn's team, again! As far as friends went, these were easily his closest, too, so he was _especially_ psyched!

Right now, while everyone else was talking amongst themselves, Pikachu had taken to talking to Quilava. The last time he'd spoken to the stoat, he'd been a little cyndaquil, so it was thrilling to hear his evolution tale. Even Oshawott, who was to their side, seemed enthralled.

"[So you really burned every single one of those ariados!?]" the young otter asked in awe.

"[Sure did. It was the single proudest moment of my life,]" Quilava responded, grinning happily.

"[I'm not surprised at all. Great job, Quilava!]" Pikachu praised, smiling at him. "[Guess Dawn won't be having problems with any ariados anymore, that's for sure.]"

"[Heh, yeah. At long last,]" the young stoat responded.

"[So freaking cool…]" Oshawott said, looking starry eyed. "[It almost makes _me_ wanna evolve.]"

"[… Then why don't ya?]" Quilava responded, looking confused.

"[Are you kidding!? I'm _way_ more likely to get a girlfriend when I look cute and innocent like this.]"

While the stoat gave him a curious look, Pikachu sighed and rolled his eyes. Half in amusement and half in exasperation. "[I'm not sure if that's how it goes…]" he said.

"[Yeah,]" Quilava added. "[If you evolved, you'd be cooler… and girls like cool guys more than cute guys, don't they?]"

Oshawott huffed. "[Well, I _am_ cool, too! So I don't need to evolve, anyway.]"

The stoat snorted. "[Suit yourself.]"

Chuckling lightly, Pikachu glanced off to the side. As he did, he spotted some movement behind Mamoswine's leg. Looking carefully, he spotted a dear friend that made the edges of his mouth curl upwards all the more. Seeing her, he knew he just _had_ to talk to her. "[Hey, Buneary! Come join the fun!]" he called out, beckoning over.

He could faintly see the brown fluffy bunny's already red face going even redder. Most likely out of bashfulness. After a short pause, she beamed brightly and slowly made her way over, much to the mouse's delight.

As she came closer, he felt his heart do some weird flips. It was to be expected, though. He loved hanging around her! She was easily the most entertaining of his friends to hang around. She was very strange sometimes, sure, but it was that oddness that gave her such charm! Something that he'd missed in the few months they'd been away from each other.

To his side, he noticed Oshawott's face also brighten up as a big blush developed. Knowing the otter's obsession with pretty ladies, though, Pikachu was hardly surprised. "[Oh my scalchop, she's _gorgeous!_ ]" Oshawott said, holding his arms out as if expecting a hug from the bunny. "[Heehee, heyyyy, lovely lady~]"

Pikachu had to hold back a frown as some annoyance surged through him. His feelings changed to surprise, however, when Buneary obliviously walked past and nuzzled Pikachu instead.

Caught off-guard, he gasped lightly. When his brain caught up with him, and he realized that she was nuzzling him, he chuckled sheepishly. Oh, he'd forgotten about that. She was extremely affectionate, and prone to fits of getting touchy-feely out of nowhere.

"[Heyyy, Pikachuuuu…~]" she said, in a tone that sounded more happy and tender than he'd heard from anyone in a long time.

"[Um, h-hey, there!]" Pikachu responded, voice cracking. His sheepish chuckles returned with a vengeance when he realized that everyone was staring at them. At the same time, his face was starting to match the color of his cheeks. Oh no… she always chose the worst times…

Oshawott became incredibly shocked after noticing that she'd chosen to nuzzle Pikachu instead of him. So much so that his scalchop had even fallen off his stomach. Any other time, the mouse would've chuckled… but now, he felt far too embarrassed for that.

"Oh, so this little one likes Pikachu!" Ash's friend, Iris, said, gazing at the two of them, along with everyone else.

"What a dish made in heaven!" Ash's other friend, Cilan, sang happily. "Isn't that sweet?"

Ash laughed. "Yup! They're _good friends,_ alright!" he said.

Dawn pulled an exasperated face. "Ash, don't tell me you _still_ don't get it," she said with a sigh.

He blinked blankly.

Iris groaned in annoyance. "Ash, you are such a kid! It's love, not friendship!" she said.

Pikachu's cheeks somehow warmed even further. Love? Good lord… why did everyone always assume things like that? She was just his affectionate friend and nothing else!

Ash continued to stare at Iris blankly. "… Hey, Quilava, you evolved!" he chimed, noticing Quilava to his side. The stoat in question was busy laughing at the show Pikachu and Buneary were putting on.

As Iris groaned again, Pikachu quickly glanced at the nuzzling bunny. He expected her to start lightening up on the nuzzling sometime soon… but, much to his surprise, she was still going! Oh, man, it didn't usually go on for _this_ long! "[U-U-Umm… I-]" he started, his heart thumping scarily in his chest.

"[Aww _maaaan!_ Why can't I get some nuzzling action from the pretty lady!?]" Oshawott huffed in annoyance. A small melodramatic stream of tears began to pour down his face, as they often did. "[No faiiirrr!]"

Buneary didn't even seem to register him, instead choosing to nuzzle even deeper.

With a sigh of exasperation, Piplup wandered closer to the otter. "[Don't take it personally, man. Against Pikachu, you have no chance with her,]" he said. He sighed again. "[… Even if he's really dumb about it.]"

Pikachu wanted to reply irritably, but he was really at a loss for words for many reasons.

Oshawott's tears immediately went away, though his annoyed look remained. "[Dang it all…]"

Noticing the look, Piplup smiled pleasantly and picked up the scalchop on the ground nearby. He stuck it onto his forehead. "[Hey, look at me, kid!]" He proudly put his flippers to his hips. "[I'm as cool as the ocean!]" With a brief pause, the scalchop indignantly slipped off and fell to the floor, much to his chagrin.

Oshawott laughed at the sight for a short while. "[Shame the ol' scalchop doesn't agree, buddy,]" he said, slowly bending over to pick it up. "[I'll bet you're still pretty cool, th-]"

"[Keepy uppy! _Whooo!_ ]" Pachirisu screamed from the side. Running in on two legs, she kicked it as hard as possible, sending it flying into the distance.

Oshawott screeched and ran after it. "[Scalchop, _nooo!_ ]"

The hyperactive squirrel hopped up and down excitedly. "[Wooow, that went _flying!_ How many points is _that_ worth? A hundred? A _thousand!?_ ]"

"[Pachirisu!]" Piplup exclaimed, looking annoyed. "[Why'd you go and do that, ya jerk? That poor guy _really_ didn't need that!]"

She glanced at him innocently."[What? It's just a seashell. He can just get another one from the beach! I'll even help him, if he wants!]"

Piplup frowned in exasperation. "[That's not the point, woman…]"

Axew, who was nearby, giggled. "[Wow, you're a good kicker, Pachirisu!]"

She gasped happily and beamed at the dragon. "[I know, right? I can kick and run and hop good, too! Anything leg-related, I can do it forever and a day!]"

He looked at her in awe. "[Oooh… So cool!]"

"[Good lord, my freaking ears…]" Snivy muttered grumpily from a short distance away.

Pachirisu confusedly turned to face the snake. "[Huh? But you don't look like you have any-]" Her paws flew to her face. "[ _Oh my gosh, it's a grass snake!_ Hi, hi, _hiiiii!_ ]" she sang, running over to her.

"[Ugh, oh no…]" Snivy grumbled, turning and slipping away elsewhere.

Pachirisu had begun to follow closely behind, but gave up in disappointment when she couldn't spot the snake in the crowd. "[I'll find you, Snivy snake! _I'll find youuu!_ ]"

Pikachu exhaled through his nose. Still, he didn't say anything. Either about the squirrel annoying Oshawott or her pestering Snivy. While he'd usually disapprove of his friends acting really mischievous… he couldn't deny that he appreciated the distraction.

… Except… it hadn't been one at all! Everyone else was still hung up on Buneary nuzzling him! He could tell, because everyone was gazing at the two of them. Angling his ears ever so slightly… he also heard some more laughs, giggles, and cooing coming from various people in the crowd around them. He even heard a wolf whistle and some amused mumbles from somewhere in the crowd. Ughh… it was like Sinnoh all over again. Not that Buneary seemed to mind or care. She seemed to be in her own little world, ignoring everything around her.

Noticing the incredibly coy look Emolga was giving them from nearby, Pikachu forcefully exhaled. Then, inhaling deeply, he smiled widely while pretending to listen to the humans' conversation about… battling in a tournament, or something. Perhaps this way he could escape melting into an embarrassed puddle. "[Y-Yeah, battling! Awesome! We'll do great and win!]" he chimed.

Pikachu suddenly felt the area where Buneary's warm fur had been pressing against his own go cold. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he confirmed that she'd _finally_ detached her face from his, and had begun looking up at the humans in intrigue. Part of Pikachu felt greatly relieved… though the part of his face that she'd been nuzzling felt… colder than he'd expected.

… Well, it made sense. He couldn't see his face, but he suspected that it was hard to tell his cheeks apart from his features right now.

"[Battling, huh? Heehee, awesome!]" Buneary chimed. She put a paw against Pikachu's shoulder and winked at him. "[I'll get to show ya my moves! And yours'll be so freaking cool to watch, too~!]"

He could only take a brief glance at her beaming smile before the warmth in his face came back, forcing him to look away. "[Y-Yeah, s-sure! Um, anyway, yeah! Battling!]"

Buneary paused. "[Er… yeah.]" Looking out of the corner of his eye, he saw her energetically hold her free paw up. "[Battling!]"

Swallowing, he forced out a chuckle. "[Y-Yeah…]" He stalled when he noticed something behind Ash, all of a sudden. Something that was bending light, as if hidden away by an unknown force.

He beamed brightly. This was his chance! "[O-Oh, Meloetta! It's you! Welcome back!]" he called out, pointing towards her.

Jolting slightly at the outburst, Buneary looked over towards where Pikachu was pointing. Both her ears extended when she saw it, too. "[Huh? Melo-what-now?]" she asked in confusion.

"[The heck?]" Piplup said, also looking over.

"[She's a friend of ours! A legendary, even! She's real cool!]" Pikachu explained as Ash began to call her out from hiding.

Seconds later, the humanoid pokémon in question appeared in front of Dawn, who yelped in surprise. Recovering, the coordinator moved closer in intrigue, startling Meloetta into flying away to cower timidly behind Ash.

After some reassurances from Ash and Cilan - as well as a friendly wave from Dawn - the small legendary finally poked her head out and gave a friendly wave of her own.

"[Hey, Meloetta, how're ya doing?]" Pikachu called out, catching her attention.

Looking over at him and the others, she smiled brightly. "[Oh, um… hello, there, Pikachu and friends! N-Nice to meet you all!]" she said.

Pikachu returned the smile, doing his best to look as interested as possible.

"[Ohhhh, the pleasure's-all-mine…]" Piplup quickly mumbled out, looking wildly interested in the humanoid. Remembering that look from back when the penguin had had an interest in a marill… Oh dear. Pikachu sincerely hoped that Oshawott didn't notice at all.

"[Um, yeah. H-Hey!]" Buneary greeted, apparently not noticing Piplup's attraction.

Pikachu heard a rough-voiced growl from behind Piplup. Fearing the worst, he began to glance in that direction, expecting a very angry otter to appear. However, his train of thought completely derailed when he noticed that Buneary's paw had somehow found itself wrapped around his. Scared that someone might notice, he snatched it away and began towards Meloetta. "[H-H-Hey, girl, c'mon down and greet everyone! We're all excited to see ya!]" he called towards her.

Humming happily, she floated down to Pikachu and the others. "[Well, I can't ignore a request like that, can I?]"

Grinning, Pikachu glanced backwards towards his friends to see their reactions. Everyone, Piplup especially, seemed excited to meet her. Everyone except for Togekiss and Snivy, who were giving Piplup a perturbed look, and Buneary, who was glancing at Oshawott blankly. Not that he could blame any of them, considering both water-types' strange behavior.

Turning back towards Meloetta, the mouse began to talk all about Dawn and her team for a while. Of course, with many interruptions from Piplup for him to stroke his ego.

Despite everything, Pikachu's smile began to feel genuine again. He was so happy to have his friends back…

* * *

Pikachu yawned loudly, taking in the crisp salty air of the night sky. Man, what a day… He and the rest of the team had been training and playing all day. Normally, that wouldn't have been a problem, but, considering how many people were currently staying at this villa… it had been a _lot_ of training and playing, to say the least. Still, he wasn't complaining. Heck, quite the opposite, really!

Peering over the edge of the villa's biggest balcony, he gazed out into the sea with a contented sigh. It turned into a slightly exasperated one when he remembered all of the bickering that had taken place between Piplup and Oshawott, though. After their initial fight, not long after Meloetta had shown herself, the two had violently become love rivals with each other. No… love _nemeses._ That was the only word for it.

While he disapproved of it, he could _just about_ forgive Oshawott for it, considering how young the otter was. Being two years older, though, Pikachu expected better from his buddy, Piplup. Still… it wasn't the first time the penguin had fallen out with a little kid. Before, he'd fought with an elekid over his old crush, Marill… and there was his old rivalry with Cyndaquil… which had started randomly because the former-mouse hadn't gotten along well with Piplup at first, for… some reason. The penguin just couldn't stop picking fights with kids, it seemed. Plus, he couldn't stop ultimately _losing_ said fights either. Depressing, really…

Looking around, he spotted someone in the window above him, also glancing out across the sea. Looking carefully, he saw that it was Buneary.

Smile growing, he waved towards her, secretly hoping she would come down and join him. When she spotted him, however, she just waved meekly and then went back inside, out of view.

He frowned disappointedly. Tsk… guess she must've been more tired than he was. Not that he could really blame her. It'd been one heck of a crazy day, after all. Still, he wished he could've seen a bit more of her. After the initial meeting, he hadn't seen much of the girl today, sadly. Still, he stayed optimistic. He was sure she'd show more of herself throughout the week, after things calmed down. _If_ they calmed down.

Yawning again, he shrugged to himself. He didn't really have anything better to do, and he was excited to see what tomorrow would bring… so he decided to call it a night. Hopping off the ledge of the balcony, Pikachu started towards the open door of the villa. When he went inside, he noticed something that made him groan aloud.

Laying on the ground, Oshawott lazily slapped Piplup, who was laying next to him. "[Stupid penguin…]" the otter mumbled.

"[Dumb otter…]" the penguin replied, lazily slapping him back.

Pikachu smacked a palm to his face. He couldn't believe it… they were _still_ at it…

Well, if nothing else, Oshawott would have somebody to keep him company, tonight. The otter got terribly lonely at night, from what Pikachu had heard, so it would do him good to have a sleeping buddy. Even if he hated his sleeping buddy more than having water in his eyes for too long.

Shrugging to himself, Pikachu set off for bed. He was going to sleep well tonight, for sure. He just knew it…

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED!**

* * *

 **Finished:**

 **Old stuff -** 15/08 (August)/2015

 **New stuff -** 17/12 (December)/2017

 **Word count:** 2,720

 **VGS2's pointless notes:** Eventually, I'm gonna put that author's note at the beginning of the chapter down here, so, until then… er, hi. XP

 **Shameless promotion:** Hey! Have you read ravengal's stuff, yet? Well, you should! Her fics are amazingly fluffy, and full of charm and character. Not to mention, she's the reason we're all writing these things in the first place, being that she's the one who made it popular to begin with (along with someone else I'll be talking about soon enough). So yeah, we owe her some views! And, more importantly, reviews! I believe in you guys! :P

 **Fun mistakes of the day: #1: '** Pikachu returned the smile, doing his best to look as interested as possible. "[Ohhhh, the pleasure's-all-mine…]"'

(Huh? Is Pikachu really interested in Meloetta, too? Who'da thunk it? XD)

Alrighty, you guys, thanks for reading this rubbish! :D **Don't forget to review** (on chapter 4, if you've already done it before), and I'll see ya next time! Tata for now! c:

* * *

 **Next up:** _Having a nice sleep!_


	2. Dreaming A Tale

**Chapter 2:** _Dreaming A Tale_

* * *

 _Eyeing up his usual berry bush, Pikachu groaned loudly. Empty, of course. Dang it all, and it was the one that grew his favorite berries, too. The spiky purple ones that were really dry. Their name? Heck if he knew. Especially not now that he couldn't have any. Ugh, he knew he shouldn't have gone back to sleep after the first time he'd woken up…_

 _He perked up ever so slightly. Oh well. He knew of a place he could get chesto berries instead, which were also pretty dry. Considering how quickly those things grew, too, he was sure there would be some for him when he got there._

 _After a short walk through his home - the small forest near some village - he poked his head out of a bush leading out of the woods. Cautiously glancing up and down the pathway that crossed by the forest, he didn't see anybody walking down it. Smiling, he stepped out onto the path and began to walk down it for a short while. This was a little risky, considering the bush was mostly out in the open with nowhere for Pikachu to escape to… but he figured it would be okay. Nobody had managed to catch him yet in all his years of living here, so he was certain today would be no different. After all, most of the trainers who came along this way were novices at best. The perks of living in such a quiet place._

 _Eventually coming across the chesto berry bush, he beamed. As expected, the thing was filled to the brim with one of his favorite breakfasts._

 _Almost licking his lips, he reached for a bunch and, plucking them off, brought them to his mouth. Seconds later, they disappeared down his throat with extreme prejudice. Ohhh, the dry, chalky taste was **heavenly!** Gosh, he liked these a lot more than he remembered._

 _… Maybe it wouldn't hurt for him to stay here for a little longer. Or maybe a lot longer._

 _On that thought, he gazed down at his belly. He frowned slightly when he saw it poking out a little more than the last time he'd checked._

 _… Oh, whatever. He could work it off later! Maybe even later tonight. Something he'd said a few days ago before completely forgetting, granted, but… this time he meant it! Maybe._

 _Licking in-between his teeth to free some of the leftovers, he began reaching for some more berries. Distant happy mumblings caught his ear, however, making him stop dead in place. Glancing down the path, he noticed a trainer and a couple of their pokémon slowly strolling down the path, only a few stone throws away._

 _Mumbling out an annoyed comment, Pikachu glanced around for somewhere to escape to. However, he was pretty screwed. His forest was a ways off, and he'd only catch their attention if he tried to run back there, anyway. Honestly, it was a miracle they hadn't seen him already..._

 _Noticing them getting closer, he decided to gamble it by burying himself into the bushes, hiding away amongst the leaves. He waited there for a while, staying as deathly still as he possibly could as they began to slowly pass by him. A smile grew on his lips as he saw them pass by his line of vision, before disappearing. It seemed like his little plan had worked!_

 _He began to consider how long he would wait before coming out again. However, his blood ran cold when one of them spoke. "[Hey, hon, wait a sec. Are you hungry?]" one of them asked. A female, by the sounds of things._

 _"[Huh? Oh, er… yeah, I guess,]" the other pokémon responded. A male, this time._

 _"[Then let's get some eats!]"_

 _As they tried to catch their trainer's attention, Pikachu mentally swore. Aghh, so close…_

 _After a short while, the mouse heard some rustling. His heart skipped many beats as it came closer and closer. Oh no, oh no… If they found him, they were sure to try catching him, and he didn't want a freaking trainer. He would lose his luxuriously lazy life, and they would make him exercise endlessly, and fight everything in sight, and… Ughh, no, screw that! No matter what, he wasn't going with any human. Even if he had to claw his way out of their stupid pokéballs!_

 _Suddenly, something blue and oval rolled into his line of sight outside the bush, making him almost yelp. Getting a good look at it as it settled, his eyes widened. Was that…?_

 _"[Oh, hon, the baby's moving about again!]" the female pokémon chimed, moving over to face it upwards again._

 _"[Heh, yeah… I guess it is,]" the male responded, moving over to the female's side. "[Won't be long until it… hatches, huh?]"_

 _She nestled into his side. "[Yup! Then we'll get to see our beautiful child's little face for the first time~]"_

 _"[Heh… y-yeah…]"_

 _Pikachu couldn't stop himself from smiling gently at that, his frantically beating heart suddenly growing warmer. How cute. It wasn't often he got to see a family-to-be, so it was a charming sight. Even with the imminent danger._

 _He hoped they would all do well together. If nothing else, he had a feeling they would do a better job than **his** family. His mother had left before he'd even hatched… and his father had also left the second Pikachu had been old enough to be able to live on his own. Pikachu sighed. Lousy jerks…_

 _… His eyes widened. Wait, why had he sighed!? Inhaling deeply, he held his breath, begging to every legendary there was that his slip up had skipped their attention._

 _For a few seconds, there was silence. Then he could hear the distinct sound of crunching that one could expect from chesto berries being eaten. Followed by some quiet retching sounds from the male pokémon, as if he hadn't liked the taste._

 _Pikachu mentally breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness…_

 _The egg was lifted up and gently placed to the side, suddenly. Once it was settled, the female pokémon carefully gazed into Pikachu's hiding place… and, evidently, straight into his eyes._

 _… Drat._

 _The girl immediately gasped excitedly before waving her paws to grab her trainer's attention. "[Hey, hey! It's an electric-looking-type! You wanted one, right?]"_

 _Gritting his teeth, Pikachu got down onto all fours and kicked up some dirt with his back legs. Welp, nothing for it now… If he wanted freedom, he was going to have to fight for it! Lunging forwards, he rammed into her with his head, knocking her a fair distance away._

 _With a half-cry, half-squeal of delight, the human ordered the male pokémon to attack Pikachu._

 _Getting into a battle-ready pose, the mouse braced for a retaliation. However, the other pokémon stalled, as if spacing out. Seeing this as the perfect moment to get away, Pikachu wasted no time in running for dear life._

 _He got a fair distance down the path until something hard hit him in his side, sending him reeling to the ground. Quickly scrambling to his feet, he barely dodged in time to avoid a big ball of water, which whizzed past him. He tried to regain his bearings, but failed when another ball of water smashed into him, sending him flying. Head spinning, he stumbled around aimlessly. What was he doing? Who was he? Which way was up? Which up was way?_

 _Through his blurry vision, he would see a scary thing falling towards him while covered in blue liquid-y whatsits. Even though his head was all fumbled, he knew it wasn't good, so he wildly fired off lots of electricity. Eventually, the blue thing became a yellow thing because of all the zapping. He snapped to attention when a scream pierced his ears. Shaking his head, he bewilderedly looked around, his vision now clear. Had… he been confused? Good lord, that had been disorienting._

 _He smiled when he noticed the male pokémon lying on the floor, frizzled and dazed. Wow… thank goodness for Thunder Shock. For this guy to go down in one hit from it, though… Heh, either Pikachu was getting stronger, or this guy was more of a wuss than he looked!_

 _His proud smile shrank when he saw another ball of water rapidly approaching. Squealing, he ducked under it. Dodging another one, he winced as it grazed his arm. What the-!?_

 _Looking in the direction the attack had come from, he saw the female pokémon charging up another ball of water in her paws. "[Don't worry, hon! I'll avenge you!]" she cried._

 _Pikachu huffed. Not if **he** had anything to say about it. Not waiting for her to finish, he fired off several bolts of lightning. Most of them struck her, but, with gritted teeth, she just shrugged off the attack. He fired off even more, but the female simply tossed her ball of water in the air and jumped upwards, dodging his electricity. She then slammed her ball of water downwards, directly towards him._

 _Squealing again, he ran in the opposite direction. He cried out in pain when it caused a watery explosion, sending him tumbling forwards. Soaked to the skin, he slowly got up and faced her as she sailed through the air towards him. He stepped to the side just in time to avoid her, but the female's impact against the ground caused a shockwave of water to shoot outwards, sending Pikachu flying._

 _Dazed and bruised, he lay groaning on the ground for a short while before trying to get up again. However, he couldn't. He was stuck fast. He wasn't sure if it was because of his aching muscles or what, but it didn't matter either way. At this rate, he was screwed._

 _Barely managing to angle his head backwards, he saw something that made him scream. The female pokémon was falling down towards him like a meteor, much like the male one had done before her._

 _He kept on screaming. He didn't stop until excruciating pain erupted in his back._

* * *

Yelping, Pikachu jolted upwards. W-What the heck!?

Taking several deep breaths, he slowly glanced around at his surroundings. Gone were the grassy hills and the chesto berry bush, replaced with the walls of the bedroom he shared with Ash and Cilan in Cynthia's villa.

Swallowing, Pikachu gave a drawn-out exhale. Oh. Just a dream…

Calming, he lay back down against his pillow. Good lord, that'd been realistic. In fact… that'd actually happened to him in the past, hadn't it? It was the memory of the day he'd become 'trained' as it were. Though he didn't remember what had happened afterwards. The most he remembered was that he'd somehow managed to get away from that trainer, only to find himself in Oak's hands, instead. Something he appreciated, in hindsight.

Despite how stressful the dream had been, Pikachu couldn't help but smile softly. He enjoyed his occasional 'memory dreams', as he called them. He didn't have the best memory in the world, no thanks to all the adventures he got up to on a daily basis… so it was good to be reminded of his life every now and again. In fact, just a few weeks ago, he'd had a memory dream of the time he and his old friends had met the crystal onix. An onix made entirely out of crystal, which enjoyed water but was weak to fire, for some reason. None of the mouse's friends who hadn't been there had believed him when he'd told them about it, but he knew it had happened.

Yawning, he closed his eyes and snuggled back into his pillow. Maybe, if he was lucky, he'd have another dream about the past. Hopefully one that wasn't as painful…

* * *

 _Dragging himself along the grassy fields away from the path, Pikachu let out another groan. His fur was soaked, he ached all over, and he could barely keep his eyes open… but there was no way he could stop. He wasn't going to let himself be caught by any trainer, strong pokémon or none._

 _He accidentally agitated a sore spot, making him stumble to the ground. He very nearly let himself pass out there, but, with clenched teeth, he forced himself back to his four paws. No… he wasn't far. He had to hang in, there…_

 _After another minute or so, he could see the woods he called his home a short distance away. He was far from being safe, however. He still had to crawl his way over. So, with much difficulty, he forced himself onwards._

 _Honestly, he had no idea how he'd made it this far. One minute, that female pokémon had smashed him into the ground… and then the next moment, she was lying on the ground, barely able to move. Something Pikachu greatly appreciated, as it had allowed him to make an escape as the trainer had fumbled around to heal his inactive pokémon._

 _Seriously though, what had even happened? Had his Thunder Shock secretly affected her **that** much? He hoped so. He was very proud of his electrical power, so it would be a nice stroke to his ego, if that had been the case. Heh…_

 _Stumbling to the floor again, he sighed. After today, he had to make sure never to eat from that bush again. At least, not without some way of escaping. Maybe he needed to finally relent and try to learn Quick Attack, or Agility, or something. As much as he hated exercising for too long…_

 _He tried to push himself up, but he failed. Every time he tried again afterwards was just as bad. Nope. He just didn't have it in him…_

 _Sighing yet again, he twisted around to lay on his back. Maybe after a little rest, he'd be back up to scratch. He had to make sure he didn't sleep, though, or who knew what could happen._

 _As the minutes ticked on, however, he was finding it increasingly difficult to keep his eyes open. It was like that one battle had sapped almost all his strength. Dang it all…_

 _Just as his thoughts began to grow fuzzy, he could just barely register a shadow looming nearby. He was too far gone to do anything about it, however, so he just laid there, accepting whatever fate had in store for him._

 _"Ohh, why did the latest shipment of starters have to escape…?" the shadow's voice said worriedly. "I'll never be able to find anything unique in time for the new trainers… and they're due to arrive in a week or so!" He sighed. "I really hope I'm not going to have to capture something like a rattata. Whoever gets it is going to feel really hard done by, and that's not going to fly." He pointed a finger towards the sky. "Easy to capture and easy to train… though for a starter, it is rather plain." There was a pause before he rapidly shook his head. "Oh, what am I doing!? I barely have time to do all the paperwork, let alone catch pokémon **and** do rhyming couplets!"_

 _Despite his hazy vision, Pikachu managed to give him a weird look. The heck…?_

 _The shadow hummed in intrigue before turning to face the mouse. As they locked gazes, the man made a sound of delight. "Oh, a pikachu! How wonderful, I didn't even know they could be found in this area! A perfect starter pokémon."_

 _Frowning, Pikachu tried to let off some sparks. However, it was no use. He could barely manage the energy to keep his eyelids open. In fact… he couldn't even manage that much. His vision went black just as he felt a strange energy sensation tugging at him._

* * *

 _Pikachu slowly opened his eyes. He snapped awake when he noticed that, instead of his burrow, he was on top of a cold metal table, his head resting on something soft. What the-!? Where was he!?_

 _"Aha, I see you're awake now! Wonderful!" a voice said all of sudden._

 _Yelping, Pikachu hopped to his paws and swiveled around on the spot. He saw the man from earlier. The one who had encountered him when he'd been laying all beaten up on the field._

 _… Wait. Oh no. Had he been… caught!?_

 _"Sorry I couldn't find a more comfy place for you to take a nap," the man continued. Notably, he was sitting down at the same table while messing around with some stuff. He had huge stacks of paper surrounding him. "As you can see, I'm a very busy bee. Paperwork as far as the eye can see." He blinked. "… Oh no, I rhymed 'see' with 'see'. A sign I need a break." He blinked again. "… Maybe later." He got back to work on doing whatever it was he was doing._

 _Pikachu gave him a bemused look. "[… What…?]"_

 _The man offered him a tired smile. "Sorry, little guy. I'll have to properly introduce myself later, once I've gotten some of this paperwork out of the way." He sighed. "The joys of being both a researcher and a starter giver."_

 _Pikachu frowned. Oh, screw that. He didn't care about introductions or being this guy's pet pokémon, or whatever. He wanted to go back to his woods._

 _"Feel free to explore the building, Pikachu," the 'researcher' continued. "It's not very lively at the moment, because of a… little starter drought, but I'm sure you'll find something to do!"_

 _The mouse grinned lightly. That was a good idea, actually. After exploring this place for a while, he was sure to find an escape route. Especially with that researcher being as busy as he was._

 _Hopping off the table, Pikachu left the room, hoping there was a back entrance to this place, or something. If nothing else, all of his aches and pains were gone, at least. Perhaps the researcher had healed him up a little while he'd been unconscious. Something the mouse appreciated, though not enough to stick around._

 _After several minutes' worth of searching, he found a door leading outside. With this, he would be able to escape, easily. In fact, it would be far easier than if that other trainer had caught him. What with his two deadly goons and their mini goon in the making. They'd have tracked him down like bloodhounds, or something. Whatever a 'bloodhound' was. Something from one of the non-pokémon regions, probably._

 _The mouse began to push the open and begin his escape when something came to mind. If he left now, what was to say that **another** trainer wouldn't try their hand at catching him? It wasn't impossible, either. He could hear a little bit of activity from the village nearby. A sure sign of more trainers._

 _Going back inside, he scratched his chin in thought. Well… he was likely to be caught if he left **now…** but if he tried escaping at **night…**_

 _He nodded to himself. It was decided, then. Tonight, when that researcher was asleep, he was going to get his freedom! For now, though, he guessed he may as well see what the domesticated life was like. He'd never been inside a house before, so it was vaguely interesting, if nothing else._

 _In the corner of the room he was currently in, he noticed a box with a screen. His eyes brightened when he saw it. Ooh, he'd heard about those things! TVs! They apparently showed moving images when you turned them on!_

 _Curious, he moved towards it and pressed some of the buttons on it until it came to life. After a pause, it showed some strange noisy white stuff that buzzed around the screen rapidly, straining his eyes to the point that he had to look away. Jeez, was that all? How disappointing._

 _Then again… apparently you could 'change the channel' too, whatever that meant. Maybe it would get rid of the white stuff? On that note, he began to fiddle around with even more buttons. Eventually, much to his delight, something showed up on-screen!_

 _The image that showed up was blurry at first… but, eventually, it was clear as crystal._

 _…_

 _"C'MON, PIKACHU, IT'S A **SPECIAL BREAKFAST!** "_

* * *

Pikachu squealed and jumped out of his sleeping bag. "[ _Aghhh, what the frick!?_ ]" he shouted, looking everywhere. Instead of seeing a laboratory or a TV, he was surrounded by the walls of a tent… and, more noticeably, Ash, who was directly in front of him. Wha…?

"Awesome, you're awake!" he exclaimed, kneeling down and staring at him excitedly.

"[… Huh?]" Pikachu continued, eyes drooping groggily.

"Today, Cilan's gonna give us a _special breakfast!_ " Ash said, no less excited than before. "So c'mon, Pikachu, we can't waste another second!"

Pikachu groaned. Oh, right… just a dream… "[Dang it, Ash…]" he said, yawning, "[it can't be so special that you had to wake me up…]"

"Glad to see you're excited, too!" Ash replied, completely ignoring him. "Now _let's go!_ "

Pikachu began to object, though he was cut short when Ash picked him up and carried him out of the tent. While being carried along, he sighed and tried to collect himself. Well, at least he'd escaped Professor Oak's lab, he guessed…

Seriously though, another memory dream? And only several days after the last one, at that. Even now that he was in the fields a fair distance away from Cynthia's villa, after the team had decided to briefly travel again 'for old times' sake'.

This memory dream had been so strange, though. It had almost been like a sequel to the one he'd had a few days before, featuring that insane battle. He couldn't help but wonder if he'd have any more like that, sometime soon. Heck, maybe he'd have one based on the event which had happened soon after. The one where something had happened to tick him off into rebelling against Oak.

He tried to remember that specific incident right now, but he was too distracted by Ash's excited shudders as he ran towards the breakfast site. Plus, it didn't help that his mind was foggy with tiredness, despite him having apparently fallen asleep in his own dream, too. Tsk, oh well. Maybe later, or something.

As Ash rounded the corner into the eating area, Pikachu groaned again. Good lord, nobody else was even awake, yet, save for Cilan. Heck, the mouse wasn't even sure if breakfast had even been started. Ughh, trust Ash to _only_ be awake early when good food was involved. Then again, using the word 'special' when describing stuff was probably the best way to get him pumped up for anything. Like that 'special onix' incident from a few days ago. The one involving that shiny onix, who was nowhere near as special as the crystal onix had been, but hey ho.

Pikachu smiled softly. Oh well. Even with the rough start, he found himself excited for whatever the day would bring. Somehow, he got the feeling it was set to be a fun one.

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED!**

* * *

 **Finished:**

 **Old stuff -** 15/08 (August)/2015

 **New stuff -** 17/12(December)/2017

 **Word count:** 3,834

 **VGS2's pointless notes:** A look into the past of Pikachu! It was a bit different in older Game-Changer, so this is all new! Sure hope you enjoyed his backstory, as chubby as he was, once upon a time. XP

 **Shameless promotion:** Are you ready for me to talk about **MewLover54** and his fics? I sure hope so! That guy's the guy who made the Snivy x Oshawott shipping popular… and for good reason! He's good at making cute, fun stuff with funny elements. He's also written quite a bit of PikaBun, too. So, naturally, I'd recommend him! :P Drop him some reviews! But not ones that go "Oi, post another chapter, ya bugger!" and nothing else. That would be rude, dude.

 **Fun mistakes of the day: #1: '** _Barely managing to angle his head **backwards,** he screamed.'_

(What is this, the Exorcist!? O,o)

 ** _#2:_** _'"Blah blah blah," the man continued, sitting down **on** the same table while messing around with some stuff.'_

(Professor Oak! Get down from there! Man, the stress must have really gotten to him…)

 ** _#3:_** _'With this, **it** would be able to escape, easily.'_

 _(It rubs the lotion on its skin…)_

 **#4:** "So c'mon, Pikachu, we can't **waist** another second!"

(Wrong word, ya silly bugger. XD It's almost like a bad pun, involving Pikachu's waist. Then again, considering how fat he used to be… he might need measuring again.)

 **#5:** as he ran towards the breakfast sight.

Tata for now! c:

* * *

 **Next up:** _Eating some breakfast!_


	3. Missing A Friend

**Arc II:** _A Different Perspective_

 **Chapter 3:** _Missing A Friend_

* * *

Pikachu sighed in satisfaction after finishing his 'special' breakfast. A toasted cheese sandwich filled with tomatoes. He wasn't entirely sure why Cilan had decided to treat the pokémon to such a fancy meal, but he wasn't complaining. Being the mouse he was, he did enjoy his cheese, after all! Even if it _had_ cost him most of his beauty sleep…

Taking a second to settle his belly, he looked around to see that all the other pokémon in the large group had also enjoyed their meals. Most were making noises of contentment as they finished eating. Well, most except for Ash and Oshawott, who were both begging for seconds.

Rolling his eyes at the two of them, Pikachu decided to turn his attention elsewhere. The scenery of these grassy fields they'd decided to camp in were nice, though nothing unique. If nothing else, this place with all of its trees and bushes scattered about were a nice change of pace from the villa.

Spying Dawn's team, he smiled. He'd really enjoyed the time he'd spent with the plucky coordinator and her pokémon so far… even though most of the time had been spent training and putting up with Piplup and Oshawott's shenanigans.

Now done with eating, and with nothing better to do, he decided to watch the other pokémon out of intrigue as they began to go about their business. Glancing at Piplup, Pikachu could see that he was busy trying to, once again, impress Meloetta. Thanks to Oshawott's greediness, however, it seemed like Piplup was in luck. He had free reign to romance the legendary. That said, Piplup being 'in luck' was debatable, considering how exasperated Meloetta looked…

Looking at Quilava, Pikachu could see that the stoat was wandering around the campsite, seemingly asking random pokémon a quick question. The mouse wondered if he was looking for an opponent to battle, seeing as that was something the guy was big on. Perhaps even more so than contesting, at times.

Togekiss was busy chatting to both Unfezant and Leavanny about something or other. Knowing her, it was probably about contesting, which was something the flying-type and her team were professionals at.

Unfezant only seemed mildly intrigued, which was far less than what could be said for Leavanny. The mantis looked absolutely mesmerized by Togekiss' words, as if she was telling him about a land made of rainbows, or something. Occasionally, the bird seemed a little distracted with something that was going on in Piplup and Meloetta's direction, though she kept her composure. A trick she most likely learned from her old owner, Princess Salvia.

Watching Pachirisu, Pikachu could see the squirrel energetically trying to get Dawn's attention, as the latter scolded Ash and Oshawott for being greedy. A sight that greatly amused Axew, who was watching from Iris' hair.

Speaking of Iris, she seemed to be brushing Emolga's fur while chatting to Cilan, who was still cooking food for himself. The squirrel seemed to be amused at the sight of them talking, as if in the know about something that Pikachu wasn't aware of.

Mamoswine just seemed to be lazing about, as always. The pig-mammoth had never really been the interesting sort.

Glancing at Buneary, he could see...

... Wait, where was she? Angling his head around, Pikachu tried his hardest to spot her. However, even after a very careful scan of the area, he couldn't see her at all.

He tilted his head in confusion. This was very strange, especially for her. She was usually very, _very_ easy to find. Heck, back in Sinnoh, she often liked to eat next to him, or at least near him, so her complete absence was very bizarre indeed.

... In fact, how much had he even interacted with her this week? Heck, they'd not had a notable moment together since Dawn had arrived, had they? In all the chaos of the constant adventures the gang had been having all week, he hadn't noticed that she'd just seemingly up and vanished! Granted, he'd _occasionally_ been able to have a few quick words with her, but never for very long. She had always found some sort of excuse to leave, so it was like he'd not spoken to her much at all. Something that saddened him immensely, now that he thought about it.

As Quilava wandered close by, Pikachu hailed him over. While he was clueless about the rabbit's location, surely the stoat must have had some kind of idea himself.

Once close enough, Quilava nodded in greeting. "[Hey, Pikachu!]"

Pikachu nodded back. "[Hey, Quil. Mind if I ask you something?]"

The stoat's face brightened up. "[Oh, lemmie guess, you wanna battle?]"

Huffing in amusement, Pikachu shook his head. "[Later, maybe, but not right now, sorry.]"

The fire-type clicked his tongue. "[Aww, darn. Then what did ya want me for?]"

"[You seen Buneary anywhere? I just noticed that I've barely spoken to her since she arrived. I'm starting to... um, well...]"

As Pikachu paused, Quilava began to smirk. "[... Miss her? Hehe...!]"

Exhaling slowly, Pikachu looked away, his face warming slightly. "[... Yeah. Er, maybe a little...]"

Quilava chuckled. "['A little', huh? ... Likely story.]"

Pikachu groaned. He'd almost forgotten how much Quilava liked to tease him about his 'feelings' for Buneary. He was almost as bad as Buizel had been when it came to that. Tsk, why did the stoat have to be so obsessed with proving that Pikachu and Buneary had a crush on each other, anyway? She probably didn't feel that way about him... Someone that affectionate would have no problems confessing, he was sure of it… so the lack of a confession left him skeptical.

"[Yeah, well, either way,]" the mouse started, "[you seen her anywhere lately?]"

Quilava stopped chuckling to look thoughtful. "[Er... hmm... You know what? I don't think I have... Well, not much, anyway. I saw her grabbing a toastie earlier, but that's about it.]" He began to frown. "[Hm. That's real weird for her, ain't it?]"

Pikachu gave a small sigh. "[It is...]" He raised an eyebrow at the stoat. "[... Wait, 'toastie'? That's a weird name for it, ain't it?]"

The stoat smiled. "[Pachirisu came up with it. It's weird, but catchy enough. Says she got it from a grass snake of some sort.]"

Pikachu raised an eyebrow. "[Who, Snivy? Huh, sounds a bit silly for something she'd say...]" After a pause, he shook his head dismissively. "[Well, whatever. I've got a job to do, I guess.]"

Quilava tilted his head. "[You have?]"

Pikachu nodded. "[Yup. Earlier, Iris pestered Ash for a 'relaxing day', and I think we're getting one, so today's the perfect time to go looking for Buneary.]"

The stoat smirked again. "[Oho, is that so…?]"

Pikachu gave a small frown. "[Yeah, so I can spend some time with my _friend_. Whatever you're thinking, it's… not that.]"

Quilava shrugged. "[Heh, if you say so… Well, good luck, bro. I'm sure it won't take long to track her down.]"

Pikachu smiled slightly. "[Thanks. Here's hoping…]"

"[No probs, Romeo,]" Quilava replied, smirking.

Pikachu turned away. "[Ugh… every opportunity, I swear…]"

After another chuckle, the stoat gave his farewells to Pikachu, who returned them. Then, with determination, the mouse set off on his small journey to find his good friend.

Before he got very far, he walked past Oshawott, who looked very dejected.

Rolling his eyes, Pikachu turned to face him. "[Hey, man, what's the matter?]" he asked, already knowing that the answer was most likely food-based. He faltered when he saw Oshawott actually looking more distressed than he'd thought. "[Um… everything alright?]"

The otter sighed and fell backwards, onto his backside. "[No…]"

Pikachu frowned worriedly. "[No?]"

The otter's stomach growled, making him groan and wrap his arms around his belly. "[… I didn't get to eat a single freaking toast sandwich thing all breakfast.]"

"[Huh? But you went for seconds! How did you get _no_ food?]"

"[… I gave it all to Meloetta.]"

"[Oh… well… sorry, man.]" Pikachu tried to smile. "[At least Meloetta's gonna be impressed, though, right?]"

Oshawott flopped onto his back. "[Yeah… if Piplup doesn't undermine my good deed, and steal her away from under my big nose, anyway.]" Tears began to stream down the otter's face. "[Not that it matters, because I'll be dead before then, anyway. Dead, because of the _starvatiooon!_ ]"

Pikachu sighed. While he _did_ feel sorry for him, the otter could be so melodramatic, sometimes… Perking up, he turned towards Cilan. "[Hey, wait here.]" He ran over in the chef's direction. He seemed about ready to start chowing down on his own cooking, himself. "[Cilaaaaan!]" the mouse called out.

The trainer peered down from his seat. "Oh? Problem in the kitchen, Pikachu?"

"[Got any leftovers, please?]" Pikachu asked, patting his own stomach for emphasis.

"Oh, you're still hungry? Well…" Cilan reached into the bag next to him and pulled out a slice of bread and a tomato. "… you're not as likely to eat us out of house and home as…" He scratched his head sheepishly, "… um, _some_ people are, so here you go; some delectable ingredients I didn't use, today," he continued, passing them to him.

Accepting them, Pikachu beamed and bowed. "[Thanks, Cilan!]" He ran back to Oshawott and held out the food. "[It's not much, but here you go, kid. Oh, in fact…!]" Tossing the tomato upwards, he shocked the bread, lightly toasting it. Catching the tomato on it, he held it out again. "[Bon appétit!]"

Gasping in delight, the otter jumped to his feet and took them. "[Oh, wow, thanks, man! Heehee!]" He immediately gobbled them down, like his life depended on it.

"[Hey, no problem,]" Pikachu replied, smiling lightly. Suddenly, though, a burst of déjà vu hit him. Shaking his head to clear it away, he wondered what had caused it…

With paws against his stuffed cheeks, the otter's feet flailed about in a happy dance. "[ _Shooo good!_ Thish tastesh shoo mush better than shtarvashion!]"

Pikachu chuckled. "[Yeah, I'll bet. Next time you're starved, though, just go and find some berries or something, alright? I don't want you starving on us.]"

Oshawott blinked. "[Oh yeah... berriesh.]" Swallowing, he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "[I didn't think that far ahead. Eheheh…]"

Pikachu gave him a dry look. "[Mmm, clearly.]"

Oshawott tilted his head in curiosity. "[Why'd you help me out, though? You're _always_ telling me not to eat so much. And I don't just mean whenever I _used to_ steal stuff.]"

Pikachu raised an eyebrow. "[Used to…?]"

"[Y-Yeah! I haven't done it for weeks, now!]"

The mouse sighed. "[Well… I guess.]" He smiled. "[Anyway, yeah, you gave all your food off to Meloetta, which I'd say is kind enough for some grub. Wouldn't you?]"

Oshawott blushed lightly. "[Well… I only did it for my beautiful Meloetta,]" He frowned, "[… who totally likes me more than Piplup, by the way.]"

Smirking, Pikachu ruffled the fur on the otter's head, making him chuckle slightly. "[Yes, and yes,]" the mouse replied. Letting go, his ears perked. "[Oh, right! While you're here, I may as well ask… Have you seen Buneary anywhere?]"

"[Who? The attractive rabbit lady?]"

"[Er… y-yeah,]" Pikachu replied, blushing lightly.

"[Wish I knew. She was _hawwwwwt!_ ]"

Pikachu felt a stab of annoyance go through him. "[Y-Yeah, well… stick to your own age group, Oshawott. And for that matter, stick to one woman.]"

"[Of course I will! I'm still allowed to _admire_ cute girls, though, right?]" His eyes widened. "[… And what do you mean ' _my_ age group'? She doesn't look old to me.]"

"[She's older than _you_ are. She's the same age as me, around eight. A young adult in our years.]"

Oshawott's eyes widened further. "[Jeez, really!?]" Pikachu nodded. "[Wow…]" The otter smirked confidently. "[Well… a five and a half-ish year gap didn't hurt nobody!]" He blinked. "[… Y'know. Not that I'm going for it, or anything.]"

Pikachu rolled his eyes with a huff. "[Yeah… sure. Either way, if you see her, lemmie know I'm looking for her, please, won't you?]"

Oshawott saluted. "[Aye, aye, cap'n!]"

"[… And no flirting with her, either.]"

The otter's shoulders slumped. "[Awwww… Spoilsport.]" He huffed. "[Well… just for the food, I guess I could do that.]"

Exhaling slowly, Pikachu smiled. "[Thanks, man.]"

Oshawott's eyes widened before an impish smirk crossed his face. "[Wait, I get it! You have a crush on her, don't you?]"

Pikachu jolted. "[W-Wait, what?]" His face warmed. "[N-No, I don't…]"

"[Of course you do! Nobody wants to see a girl _that_ much unless they're in love!]"

"[Th-That's not… necessarily true, now, is it?]"

"[Yes, it is!]" Oshawott sighed and put a paw onto Pikachu's shoulder. "[Look, man… I'm sorry you had to find out this way, but… if she didn't want me, I don't think you'll have much luck.]"

Pikachu stared at the otter. "[… What?]"

"[Well, just think about it. I'm a suave, sexy beast, and you're a… well, you're not bad, but you know.]"

Pikachu gave him a dry look. "[… But… you've never dated anyone in your life.]"

Oshawott coughed, smile turning slightly nervous. "[W-Well… at least I still go for it, right? Not like you, looking at the way you awkwardly ignored that cute bunny nuzzling ya.]"

Pikachu groaned. "[I didn't _ignore_ her. I just… got a little embarrassed.]"

The otter grinned. "[Hence why you'll never be as suave as me.]"

"[… Sure,]" Pikachu responded, eyes threatening to roll again. "[Anyway, you go show Meloetta that… suaveness of yours, and I'm going to go search for Buneary.]"

Oshawott saluted again. "[Yes, sir! Best'a luck with things!]"

Grinning happily, Pikachu gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder. "[Thanks, man!]"

With that, they went their separate ways. The mouse didn't get very far until he heard some angry screeching coming from somewhere else in the camp. Screeching that came from someone with a rough voice and someone with a high-pitched voice. Somehow, he wasn't surprised in the least.

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED!**

* * *

 **Finished:**

 **Old stuff -** 15/08 (August)/2015

 **New stuff -** 17/12 (December)/2017

 **Word count:** 2,330

 **VGS2's pointless notes:** I'd always intended for this chapter to be a part of pre-Deluxe Game-Changer… but I'd never gotten around to it, before rebooting the whole thing. Well, until now, that is! Hope you enjoyed Pikachu getting worried for his not-senpai-I-promise. XP

 **Shameless promotion:** Today, I'm-a recommending **J'LoBuizel** and his fanfics! He's made a bunch of fics so far, all of which seem to partake in very cartoon-y humor and antics. If you're a fan of western toons you'd expect to find on Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network or whatever, I think you'll like him! Check him out and review tons!

 **Fun mistakes of the day: #1:** 'Speaking of Iris, she seemed to be chatting to Cilan, who was busy brushing Emolga's fur.'

(… Why's Cilan brushing Emolga's fur? XD That said, Cilan would've been a better fit for Emolga's trainer… Especially seeing as that green Sonic chef never trains, and isn't pretending to want to be a dragon master, or whatever. Perhaps this is how it should be!)

 **#2:** 'Someone that affectionate would have no problems **confession,** '

(She better _had_ do a confession. As well as learn better English(?).)

 **#3:** 'He ran over back Oshawott and held out the food.'

(Splat!)

Welp, time for the next chappie! Tata for now! c:

* * *

 **Next up:** _Searching for that friend!_


	4. Remembering A Time

**Chapter 4:** _Remembering A Time_

* * *

Pikachu didn't get it. For several minutes, now, he'd been looking all over the campsite for his quirky friend, and yet he _still_ couldn't find a single trace of her. How hard could it be to find Buneary, anyway? Her bright, pleasant fluff usually stood out so well, even from a distance. Plus, she was quite obsessed with sticking to him like glue. Especially in an affectionate sort of way...

Just where could that bunny be? He was starting to worry about her.

Tsk, it was just perfect, wasn't it? He'd been really looking forward to seeing more of her since Dawn had shown up, and yet the total time they'd spent together barely added up to a minute. The time he'd recently been spending with the rest of Dawn's team had been fun, certainly, but… well, it just didn't feel right without her around. The constant hugs and extreme compliments were a little embarrassing, sure… but only in public. When they were alone, he actually liked it. Not like that ever stopped him from blushing, of course…

Heh… it had always been that way really, hadn't it? Ever since the day they'd met, basically. Though it wasn't until later that he'd come to appreciate it, even if just a little…

He still remembered that day like it'd happened hours ago…

* * *

 _"[Heyy, Pikachu!]" a somewhat girly voice from behind Pikachu cried out._

 _Before he could turn to see who it was, he was suddenly tackled into a hug from behind. The sudden contact made him yelp._

 _"[Guess who~? Heeheehee!]" the girl continued._

 _He sighed. It was that new girl that Dawn had caught a few days ago, wasn't it? The overly-affectionate rabbit girl… "[Oh, um, hey… Buneary, yeah?]" he greeted awkwardly._

 _"[That's me!]" she murmured happily, huggling him up a storm._

 _He looked around to make sure nobody was watching. Save for the big river and the forest scenery to their sides, he, thankfully, didn't see anything of interest. This was honestly embarrassing enough without having everyone stare at the spectacle, too. Especially if it was someone like Dawn, or, worse, Brock. They seemed to think she had a crush on him… or was in love with him, or something. This girl barely even knew him, so why would it be anything like **that** of all things? No way. She was just an affectionate pokémon. Much like Bayleef, or… well, probably some other pokémon he'd met along the way. He didn't know, his memory wasn't exactly the best when it came to other people._

 _Eventually, Buneary let go. Turning to face the strange, fluffy rabbit, he saw that she was smiling widely._

 _"[So, er… anything you wanted from me?]" he asked, giving her a strange look._

 _She smiled pleasantly, swaying from one foot to another. "[Nothin' really, honey! Just thought I'd say hi!]"_

 _He exhaled, trying not to show too much displeasure. 'Honey', huh? Well, he certainly could imagine why people thought she had a crush on him. Any stronger wording than that, and even **he** might've been suspicious._

 _She suddenly looked rather anxious. "[What's… the matter, Pikachu?]"_

 _Eyes widening, he strained a smile. "[Nah, n-nothing, Buneary!]" he stuttered out. Oh, jeez, he'd forgotten. He had to be careful around her, because she had a tendency to cry at the drop of a hat. Especially after some harsh criticism, as he'd learned the hard way the day he'd met her. Right after he'd told her off for freezing his friends and carrying him off elsewhere. Affectionate and a big wet blanket. Two dangerous things when mixed together, for sure._

 _"[Um… really?]" she asked._

 _"[Yeah, sorry, I'm just… er, tired after all we've been through this week. Heck, I'm still drained from that watch adventure from a few days back. It was pretty wacky.]"_

 _She made an 'O' shape with her mouth before giving a small giggle. "[Yeah, I know how ya feel. It was flippin' **crazy** the way those Rocket guys used a psyduck… and those fake pokey-watch things to hypnotize pokémon.]"_

 _"[… You mean pokétches?]"_

 _She rubbed the side of her head sheepishly. "[Hey, I was close…! It's a weird name to remember.]"_

 _He chuckled, his smile relaxing. "[Don't worry. It sure does sound a bit weird…]"_

 _She made an amused huff. "[Yeah… They should just call it a 'Super Watch', or something. Oh, then they could use 'Supe-watch' for short!]"_

 _His chuckle evolved into full-on laughter. "[Soup-watch? Hahaha, er, I dunno... I think that would just make people hungry for some soup.]"_

 _After a pause, she laughed along. "[Yeah, I guess so… Heehee, alright, pokétch it is, then.]"_

 _His laughter died down. "[Alright, sounds good to me. Either way, yeah, what those guys did was pretty annoying…]" He shrugged in an aloof way. "[But hey, we're all used to Team Rocket's antics by now. They pull stuff like this all the time. Their plans aren't usually so smart, though, so that was a bit worrying.]"_

 _Her eyes widened. "[Wait… do you get into these sorts of adventures often?]"_

 _He blinked, not expecting that sort of question. "[Uh, well… yeah, I guess. Like… at least once every other day. Though with those guys, sometimes more.]"_

 _Her eyes widened a little more. "[… And you fight those guys off **every** time?]"_

 _"[With a little help from my friends, usually, but… I suppose, yeah.]"_

 _"[Wow…]" she muttered, holding a paw up to her mouth in… shock? Surprise? Pikachu couldn't tell. "[That… is… so….]" Her face flew into a big, beaming smile as her feet flailed around in some happy, excited dance, "[… cool~!]"_

 _His head jolted back in surprise. "[Er… it is?]"_

 _She gave him a wonderment-filled look. "[Yeah! You have to fight off bad guys, and their evil schemes and their giant robots on an almost daily basis! And yet you're acting as if it's nothing! Just… wow.]"_

 _He scratched the back of his neck. "[Well, thanks… but like I said, I do get a lot of help from my friends. If it wasn't for them, I'd be a member of Team Rocket right now, whether I liked it or not.]"_

 _She shook her head. "[That's only because those Team Rocket guys are cheap with their robots and dirty tactics. If they fought you fair and square, you'd frigging **destroy** them! Just like you've done before, remember?]"_

 _He blushed slightly, the praise getting to him. "[Eheh, well, y'know…]"_

 _"[Yup, I do! I know that you're one awesome guy, that's for sure~]" she remarked, winking._

 _He made an amused noise, despite his growing bashfulness. "[Gosh, um… thanks, Bun! Oh, can I call you that?]"_

 _She gasped lightly. "[You mean like… a nickname!?]" She began dancing around excitedly again, her paws flying up towards her chin. "[Heee, yes, please~!]"_

 _"[Oh, well, alright then…]" he replied, failing to hide the confused amusement in his voice. "[I can't take all the credit this time, though, Bun. You did real great yourself, the other day!]"_

 _She tilted her head. "[Wait… I did?]" She made a face of dawning comprehension. "[Ohh, you mean the contest from yesterday, right?]"_

 _"[Nope. Well, actually, that too. You did so awesome for your first contest! I was so shocked when you didn't win. Sad, too...]"_

 _Bouncing on the balls of her feet, she blushed. "[Hee, thanks~]" She went back to looking puzzled. "[Er, but what did I do if it wasn't that?]"_

 _"[Don't you remember? That super strong Ice Beam of yours was a lifesaver! It's the only reason me and Piplup got away from Team Rocket's balloon. I mean, the big fall afterwards hurt, but I'll blame Ash for that.]" He rolled his eyes. "[Honestly, thinking Starly was big enough to catch us both. Ugh...]" He shook his head in irritation, turning his attention back to Buneary. "[... But whatever. We owe ya, Bun! You're awesome!]"_

 _Making a slightly giddy noise, she began to shyly trail a foot along the ground. "[O-Oh, well, it was nothing, really... I just wanted to make sure my friends were safe.]"_

 _He smiled warmly at that. "[Man, Bun. You barely know us, and yet you're still giving it your all to save our hides on a daily basis. Anyone ever tell you how much of a super cool girl you are?]"_

 _She gave him an adoring look. "[Really? You think I'm a… super cool girl?]"_

 _He smiled. "[Totally! You're sharper than a scalchop!]"_

 _She continued to stare at him, almost unblinkingly. Her look of adoration was replaced by a look of… sheepishness? He couldn't entirely tell, though he got the feeling he'd touched her bashful side. "[O-O-Oh, um, goodness. Well… th-thank you…!]" she mumbled, grabbing the fluff around her waist and lifting it upwards, using it to cover her mouth. "[That's... really nice! H-Heehee…!]"_

 _Getting somewhat used to her quirkiness, he gave a soft chuckle. "[Hey, no problem, Bun. I'm glad you're on our side.]"_

 _"[Oh, hee, me too,]" she replied happily. Then, after making a small, presumably-excited noise, she quickly turned and began hopping away, fluff still around her face. "[U-Um, I think I need to head off and, er, check if everyone else is doing good, too. Buh-bye, Pikachu!]"_

 _"[Oh, well, alright then. See ya later, Buneary!]" Pikachu replied, waving her off._

 _He gave the strange bunny a confused look as she hopped away. Jeez, that girl was beyond bizarre, wasn't she? All it took was one innocent compliment to completely fluster her! Nobody else he'd ever praised had acted as bashful as that..._

 _That said, it certainly made sense. She was very easy to impress, and she seemed eager to leave her own impressions on people, too. Him especially, for whatever reason. So for her to react so strongly to his compliment… well, it shouldn't have been much of a surprise, to be fair._

 _Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted as he noticed Buneary trip up and accidentally land into a shallow part of the river. Before he could get concerned, she hopped back onto dry land and shook herself off. With that, she continued onwards, almost as if nothing had ever happened._

 _He gave an exasperated shake of the head at her antics. She'd done something similar a few days ago after they'd met, too. Clumsily smacking into a tree after he'd complimented her. She was such a goofy pokémon. Still, as strange and overly-affectionate as that rabbit was, he couldn't help but hope to see more of her. Despite everything, she seemed like a real fun friend…_

 _… He hoped that she'd maybe lighten up on the weird affection, though. Especially if anyone was watching…_

* * *

Pikachu smiled to himself at the memory. It was funny to imagine that she'd stayed so quirky, even to this day. Still, his opinion hadn't changed one bit. The girl was a real fun friend, and he loved spending time with her… so he couldn't wait to see more of her.

That is… if he could get a chance to, anyway.

On that note, he quickened his pace.

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED!**

* * *

 **Finished:**

 **Old stuff -** 15/08 (August)/2015

 **New stuff -** 17/12 (December)/2017

 **Word count:** 1,920

 **VGS2's pointless notes:** Here we go! The first thing to appear in the older version of Game-Changer! The not-a-lake-anymore flashback! Though I've fixed it up a fair bit, so it should hopefully feel a bit different. Plus, it's not a part of a mega long chapter, either, which helps out a ton. XP

 **Shameless promotion:** Today, I shall talk about **scarcrow151** and his fics! He's a writer who's quite fond of adventure stories, with slice of life elements and many twists and turns. They can have wackiness, but they often have quite a few serious moments, too. Especially when one of the humans brings their gun out. O,o He has a similar style to MewLover54, aside from that, so if you like ML's stories, you'll be in for a treat! :P Review as much as you can!

 **Fun mistakes of the day: #1:** _'The last thing he wanted to do was make her a cry again.'_

(And a cry was Buneary. I wonder if he meant the verb, or the popular let's player.)

 ** _#2:_** _'His chuckle evolved into **full on** laughter.'_

(Without the hyphen, it makes it sound like he ate too much laughter. He'd better not hear a funny joke, then, or he may end up eating to death.)

 **#3:** 'Here we go! The first thin to appear in the older version of Game-Changer!'

(Apparently, everyone's fat in this fic. Everyone except for one person, whoever that is. Most likely not Pikachu or Ash.)

Alrighty, mates! Don't forget to **review,** now, y'hear? If you do, I'll love ya forever. :P Either way, tata for now! c:

* * *

 **Next up:** _Continuing to search for that friend!_


	5. Asking For Info

**Chapter 5:** _Asking For Info_

* * *

Pikachu sighed. His little journey to find Buneary had still been drawing up nothing but blanks. He'd taken to exploring outside of the campsite, now, but still, he was stumped. Still, he kept up the search. He knew she was _alive_ at least, thanks to those occasional, short-lived moments together. But he refused to leave his satisfaction at that. Not until he could spend more time with her.

After some more wandering, he eventually came across Piplup. His face brightened as he spotted the penguin. He'd asked lots of different pokémon about Buneary so far, though not Piplup. If _anybody_ would know where she was, it'd probably be him.

"[Hey, Piplup!]" Pikachu greeted, walking over to his penguin friend.

Piplup turned away from the flowers he was contemplatively staring at. Upon seeing Pikachu, his face lit up. "[Oh! Hey, buddy!]" He moved over to give Pikachu a high-five, which was happily returned.

"[Can I ask you something?]" Pikachu continued after moving away.

"[Oh, you're interested about what I'm doing with these flowers, right?]"

Pikachu raised an eyebrow. "[Well... I wasn't, actually, but you've gotten me curious. Why are you staring at flowers? Thinking of dressing up like a girl again?]"

Piplup gasped loudly before dancing flusteredly. "[The heck do you mean 'again'!? I don't do that!]"

Pikachu shrugged, failing to stop a small smirk from forming on his face. "[What about the maid outfit and the cheerleading outfit? I never heard you complaining about those.]"

"[That's only because _Dawn_ wanted me to wear them! She said I looked cute!]" He put his flippers on his hips and raised his beak into the air. "[The cutest on the team, in fact!]"

"[Buneary looked better in them...]" Pikachu muttered.

Piplup tilted his head. "[Huh? What was that you said?]"

A breath caught in Pikachu's throat as he realized what had just slipped out of his mouth. "[O-Oh, er, nothing! I was... agreeing. With you. Yes.]"

The penguin smugly crossed his arms. "[ _Hmph!_ You'd better be!]"

With a soft exhale, Pikachu wiped some stray sweat off his brow. Man, it would've been pretty embarrassing if Piplup had heard that comment of his, the mouse was sure of it. Not to mention he would've developed a headache, no thanks to the penguin ranting about the disagreement.

Either way, Pikachu really had to keep his weird thoughts under control. True as they were...

"[But anyway...]" the penguin continued, "[I'm just picking flowers for Meloetta. Gotta look more impressive than I already am, y'know!]"

Pikachu gave him a curious look. "[Huh... but didn't you already give her like... twenty bundles of flowers?]"

"[Twenty- _five_ , actually. But yeah.]" Piplup frowned suddenly. "[That jerk, Oshawott, just gave her some earlier today! I can't take any chances with that date-stealer around!]"

Pikachu raised an eyebrow. "[... How many did _he_ get her?]"

Piplup huffed in annoyance. "[... Thirty-two. I checked.]" He scratched his neck. "[... From the bushes.]"

Pikachu blinked, trying his hardest not to pull an exasperated expression. "[... Uh huh. Well, whatever, I've got something to ask. Something else, anyway.]"

"[Oh yeah? Well, what's up if it's not about me winning Meloetta's heart?]"

"[I've been looking for… well, someone. So I was just wondering if you've seen 'em.]"

"[Oh, alright! Well, sure thing! I am the most vigilant member of the team, after all, so of course I'll have seem 'em.]"

The most vigilant? After constantly ignoring almost everything but Meloetta and Oshawott?

Pikachu almost laughed, though he held back. Barely. "[Er, yeah. Totally, Piplup…]"

"[So, who're ya looking for?]" Piplup asked, ignoring the near-laugh, or maybe not even registering it. "[As good as I am, I can't pick out a face without knowing which one it is.]"

"[Alright, well… do you know where Buneary is?]"

Piplup's head tilted. "[Oh? She isn't with you?]"

Pikachu shook his head. "[Nope.]"

"[Huh. Well... hmm...]" the penguin scratched his beak in thought. Afterwards, he shrugged sheepishly. "[Eheh, um, not a clue, I'm afraid. Haven't seen her since breakfast.]"

Pikachu sighed. So much for that 'vigilance', then. "[Ah, alright then. Drat… Well, least I know she was _somewhere_ during breakfast. I guess.]"

"[So, what, haven't you bumped into her today?]" Piplup asked.

"[Nope. In fact, I haven't seen much of her at all, lately. Not since you guys arrived, anyway…]"

Piplup gave him a blank look. "[... Wait, seriously?]" Pikachu nodded. "[... Seriously seriously?]" Pikachu nodded again. "[... _Really_ seriously serio-?]"

"[Yes, I'm being serious, Pip,]" Pikachu replied, rolling his eyes. "[I've barely seen her these past few days.]"

Piplup paused. Then, looking shocked, he danced around flusteredly. "[Are you freaking kidding me!? But she's flipping _obsessed_ with you!]"

Pikachu paused. "[... Um, she's not… _that_ obsessed, y'know…]"

The penguin stopped doing his flustered dance to put his flippers on his hips. "[Yes, she is! Don't tell me you _still_ haven't noticed how much of an obsession she has with you!]"

Pikachu's face warmed. "[Well... we're good friends, so I guess she might be a _little_ obsessed. In a fangirl-y kind of way...]"

Piplup groaned loudly. "[Oh for the love of-! I swear to Arceus, Pikachu...]"

The mouse rolled his eyes. "[Yeah, well, either way, I really hope I'll see her again soon.]" His ears dipped slightly. "[... She's never gone this long without talking to me before...]"

The penguin's expression softened substantially. "[Wow, it's really getting you down, huh?]"

Pikachu gave a light nod. "[Yeah...]"

"[Aww, well I'm sorry, man. If it wasn't for that Meloetta-stealing _jerk,]_ " He looked like he was going to spit on the ground, though he stopped himself. "[… I'd have absolutely known where she was. Most likely.]"

Pikachu frowned dejectedly. He was getting really worried, now. Was Dawn's visit just going to be Buneary-less? He'd really hate it if this entire visit went by without hearing her cutesy, if not a little rough, voice again. It really made his day…

Seeing him frown, Piplup moved forwards and patted him on the back while smiling comfortingly. "[Hey, don't be glum, chum. She'll be around somewhere. So chin up, alright?]"

Pikachu sighed again, though he tried to smile back. "[Thanks. We'll see, I guess…]"

Piplup gave a nod before turning back to the flowers. "[Say, until she shows up, wanna help me pick some flowers? I have a lot to get, so I've gotta hurry if I want to see Meloetta again. She's probably missing me!]" His face soured. "[… Plus, I've gotta find her before that dumb ol' Oshawott does. Seriously, when he's not being kinda cool, he's always being super dumb. Trying to steal my Meloetta away…]"

… Deciding not to point out that the penguin had just admitted to Oshawott being cool, Pikachu paused contemplatively. After a little while, he shook his head. "[I'm good. I've gotta go and see if I can track down Buneary, still.]"

"[Aww, alright then,]" the penguin replied, sounding slightly disappointed. "[Oh well. Best of luck finding her, buddy!]"

"[Thanks, pal. It's starting to look like I'll need it...]" He began to walk away, though he stopped and faced Piplup again. "[Oh, if you see Buneary while you're doing that, tell her I'm looking for her, won't ya?]"

He posed proudly. "[Absolutely! You can count on me!]"

Pikachu smiled and thanked him again before leaving him to his weird Meloetta obsession.

* * *

After a minute's walk or so, Pikachu noticed Togekiss flying in the air above. He eagerly waved towards her, hoping to catch her attention. It worked, as the bird began to fly lower.

"[Hey, Togekiss!]" Pikachu greeted when she was close enough.

"[Hellooo~]" she sang, landing on her tiptoes next to him. "[How're you doing, sweetie?]"

"[I'm okay, thanks… Could be better, though. Buneary's gone missing, and I can't find her anywhere.]"

Her eyes widened. "[She has?]" He nodded, making her frown worriedly. "[Hmm… how peculiar… She was always ever so fond of you, so it's a special kind of strange.]"

He exhaled slowly through his nose. "[You got that right…]"

She perked up. "[Oh well, don't worry, sweetie. You'll find her!]" She shook her head. "[No, no, even better- _We'll_ find her! I shall do some searching of my own, once I've handled an errand.]"

He smiled brightly. "[Oh, thank you, Togekiss! There's a reason everyone looks up to ya!]"

She grinned proudly. "[Mmm, thanks, dear~]"

He tilted his head. "[What kind of errand is it, anyway? Anything I can help with?]"

"[No, that's quite alright.]" She paused for a second. "[… That is… unless you know where Piplup is.]"

"[Oh yeah? Do you need him for something?]"

She paused. "[… Um, n-no real reason. I just, er…]" She tapped the tips of her wings together, "[… you know. Wanted to see if he was okay, and such.]"

"[Oh… well, fair enough.]" He pointed in the direction of the flower fields he'd met Piplup in. "[He's over there, picking flowers in the flower field.]"

She looked pleasantly surprised. "[Oh, he's picking flowers? How delightful of him~]"

"[I guess so, yeah. All for the love of Meloetta, as you can imagine.]"

Togekiss blinked. "[… Oh. Right, of course…]" she sighed. She caught herself and perked up again. "[Um, yes, thank you, sweetie! In that case, I shall go and have a chat with him for a short while. With that done, I shall then find Buneary, lickity-split. Don't you worry, my dear!]"

He beamed up at her. "[Thanks, Togekiss! You have fun!]"

She gave a graceful bow. "[I shall, Pikachu, thank you. See you!]" She took off into the sky and headed in Piplup's direction.

He waved her off for a short while. When she swooped down again, presumably towards Piplup, Pikachu turned on his heel and marched onwards again, ready to search some more.

* * *

Pikachu continued his search across the grassy plains for Buneary. It hadn't been long since he'd spoken to Piplup and Togekiss, but he didn't want to waste a single moment not searching for his rabbit friend. Unfortunately, it was still proving difficult, though he didn't know why. Considering how plain the plains were, it shouldn't have been so hard to find one bunny, let alone one that he was close to! Ugh…

He really hoped that something hadn't upset her in some way. She was fairly delicate, and would cry at the smallest drop of milk on the ground. Not that her crying sessions ever lasted for all that long, to be fair, but still… it would sadden him if he knew that she was distressed.

"[Why, hello there, Pikachu~]" a girly voice rang out all of a sudden, making him jump.

Following the voice, he looked up into a nearby tree. He saw a familiar flying squirrel smiling down at him from one of its branches. "[Oh. Hey, Emolga,]" he replied, waving at her.

She laid into a lazy position. "[What brings you here? Aren't you a little far from camp?]"

"[I could ask the same thing.]"

She chuckled. "[Hey, a girl needs her downtime. Staying around Oshawott and that penguin for too long ain't good for a mon's sanity.]"

He smirked. "[Heh, well, you're not wrong.]"

"[Besides, it's not like you to wander off,]" she continued. "[You're usually a group person. Heck, you're probably the group-iest of us all. Always playing with the other guys, or hanging around Ash.]"

He shrugged. "[Well, not today. I'm looking for my friend, but I can't find her anywhere.]"

Her ears perked up. "[Oh, 'her'? Do tell.]"

"[You know Buneary, right?]"

"[The fluffy rabbit with the weird, squishy ear?]"

He frowned slightly. "[It's not weird. She likes having it rolled up…]"

With a slight smirk, she rolled her eyes. "[Alright, sorry. But yeah, what's up with her?]"

He lightened his frown. "[Well, I've no idea where she's gotten off to all week, and neither does anyone else.]" He sighed. "[… I'm starting to miss her.]"

She looked sympathetic. "[Aww. Rocky relationship?]"

His eyes widened. "[Huh? What's that supposed to mean? We're… not in a relationship.]"

She gave him a curious gaze. "[Huh? You're not? Even after you both nuzzled earlier this week?]"

"[That… happens,]" he awkwardly replied. "[I-It doesn't mean anything, though! We're friends!]" He paused. "[… And _she_ nuzzled _me!_ ]"

Her confused look lingered. After a little while, though, she put a finger to her bottom lip in amusement. "[Ahhh, I get it, now. Am I not supposed to know about your crush on her~?]" she teased.

His cheeks warmed. "[W-What crush? I just said it doesn't mean anything!]"

Smirking mischievously, she sniggered. "[Yeah, yeah, sure. And Oshawott doesn't flirt with, like, eighty girls a day, either.]"

He exhaled forcibly. Ughh, darn it. Even after all this time, being teased about Buneary still embarrassed the heck out of him, it seemed. Rolling his eyes, he turned away. "[Yeah, well… whatever. I've gotta go find her, so don't mind me.]" He started to walk away.

"[Hold up, loverboy!]" Emolga called after him.

Holding back a groan, he looked back up at her. "[What's up?]"

"[If you're that worried about her, I guess I could go for a fly to see if she's around.]"

His eyes brightened. "[Oh, really? You'd do that?]"

"[Totally!]" She gave her paw a look-over, as if she had nails on it, while grinning mischievously. "[I mean, that is, if you're willing to do something for me...]"

The mouse sighed. He knew there'd be a catch. "[Lemmie guess… apples?]"

She looked at him again, smirking. "[Heh, you got it! Apples, please~]"

He frowned bemusedly before shrugging. How did he guess? Still, it was worth it for a chance at finding Buneary. "[Alright, you're on. But only if you start looking for her now.]"

She looked happy to hear that. Well, that is, until she heard his request. "[Aww, now? But I'm hungry!]"

"[I know you way too well. The second I bring 'em back, you'll probably eat 'em, then say: 'Whoops, now I'm too full to fly! Sorry'!]"

She paused for a second before giving him a sheepish look. "[Eheh, well, y'know…]"

He crossed his arms. "[Yeah, I _do_ know. So no flying, no apples.]"

She sighed in irritation before shrugging. "[Alright, alright, fine! Jeez, when did _you_ get so demanding? You're no Oshawott, but you're usually a lot more doormat-y than this.]"

He frowned. "[Heyy, I'm no doormat.]"

"[You sure? All it takes is a bit of ribbing to make you look redder than an apple. Especially when it's about girls, apparently.]"

"[Th-That's not…]" He paused as he felt his cheeks warm ever so slightly. Then, with a groan, he slumped. "[… Oh, darn it.]"

She laughed. "[See what I mean? You're so awkward, it's hilarious.]"

He huffed. "[Yeah, well… this is important. When Buneary's on the line, I'll be as stern as it takes!]"

She looked slightly touched. "[Hehe, d'aww, how cute. Buneary's a lucky gal to have you, certainly can't deny that.]"

… He didn't know how to take that comment. "[… Er, thanks. I think.]"

She stood up. "[Alright then, I'm going. But there'd better be a nice, big bushel here when I get back!]"

He nodded enthusiastically. "[You can count on it!]"

After a nod and a wink, she jumped off the branch and spread her arms outwards. Then, catching some wind on her cape-like membranes, she was sent sailing into the air, where she flew away.

He watched in mild interest. He'd always found that pretty cool, admittedly. It reminded him of a game he'd caught Iris playing that one time. What had it been called again…? 'Super Luigi World'? He didn't remember. He only remembered gliding plumbers that'd stomped on turtle pokémon and had constantly fallen into pits.

Done watching the squirrel glide away, he set off, ready to try and find some apples.

… Where was he even going to find apples around here? He didn't remember seeing any apple trees recently.

He exhaled slowly. This was gonna be a long day…

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED!**

* * *

 **Finished:**

 **Older stuff -** 03/04 (April)/2015

 **Newer stuff -** 23/12 (December)/2017

 **Word count:** 2,657

 **VGS2's pointless notes:** Aww, that's apples, mate!

… Yeah, I've got nothing. See ya next time!

 **Shameless promotion:** Today, I wish to talk about **PokeMaster64** , the OC master! As in, if you like fics with lots of original personalities, then you'll bloody love this guy, I'm sure! He specialises in Dragonball Z-esque characters, who attack with martial arts and magic and shiz while monologuing evilly. Or heroically, depending on who's talking, I guess. That aside, he's written his fair share of PikaBun before, so I'd recommend giving him a try. And, more importantly, I'd recommend reviewing him while you're at it!

 **Fun mistake of the day!:** "Today, I wish to talk **to** PokeMaster64"

(Notice me, senpai!)

Right, bros… tata for now! c:

* * *

 **Next up:** _The fruits of Pikachu's labor!_


	6. Hunting For Fruit

**Chapter 6:** _Hunting For Fruit_

* * *

Making his way back to the campsite, in order to grab a bag or something to carry the apples in, Pikachu heard some pokémon milling about near Ash's tent. The tent that Dawn had bugged Ash to carry along, ever since the incident where he'd woken up soaked and bogged down with a cold because of rain.

Walking around the tents, Pikachu saw that the pokémon who'd been having a pleasant discussion together were Pachirisu, Axew and Scraggy. Well, as much of a pleasant discussion as having Pachirisu excitedly ramble for ages could be, anyway. Axew seemed intrigued, while Scraggy looked slightly annoyed.

Pikachu considered leaving them to it, but he had to squeeze past anyway, so why not go over and talk? He moved closer.

When he was close enough, he heard Pachirisu continue to speak. "[So! _So!_ That's why I've gotta gotta _gotta_ talk to Snivy some more!]" she said, buzzing with energy. "[If I can get her to say her phrase, it'll be _juuust_ like my show! Girly Problems!]"

"[Wow, awesome!]" Axew replied, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "[Now I wanna hear it, too!]"

She giggled. "[Me too and _more!_ ]"

"[Oh brother…]" Scraggy mumbled, rolling his eyes. "[You know she'll never say it, right?]"

"[Aww, c'mon, Scraggy…]" Axew replied. "[She _might_ do! And it'll be cool!]"

"[Pfft. In your dreams, maybe,]" Scraggy retorted.

Pachirisu giggled again. "[Wow, you're a big ol' grouchy guts of grouchy proportions, ya know that?]"

The lizard frowned. "[Am not!]"

"[Am yes!]"

Pikachu sighed and took that moment to step in. "[Hey, kids!]"

Pachirisu gasped excitedly. "[Ahaaa, Pikachu! Hello!]"

"[Hiya, Pikachu!]" Axew said just as excitedly.

"[Oh, it's you. Hey,]" Scraggy said, not quite so excitedly. "[Please save me from the dumb conversation.]"

"[Please _add_ to the dumb conversation!]" Pachirisu pleaded.

"[I think it's great, not dumb,]" Axew said, looking slightly exasperated.

She blinked. "[Oh… well… please add to the conversation that's more great than dumb, then, please, Pikachu! Please!]"

Axew smiled again. "[Yeah, what _she_ said! Please!]"

"[What neither of them said…]" Scraggy snarked. "[Please, for the love of Arceus.]"

Chuckling, Pikachu shook his paws dismissively. "['Fraid I can't do any of those things, kids. I have to go and get apples for Emolga. Once I find a bag for 'em, anyway.]"

While Pachirisu and Scraggy made disappointed noises, Axew just looked confused. "[Huh? Getting Emolga apples? But you don't look Attracted,]" he said, head tilted. His eyes widened. "[Oh! Unless you're in love with Emolga, like, without Attract.]"

"[Oooh, don't tell Buneary that, then,]" Pachirisu said, looking a little worried. "[She'll get sad… and a sad Bun is not a good Bun. No siree.]"

Pikachu sighed slightly. "[Don't tell me that you think Buneary's into me, too.]"

"[Why wouldn't I? Her crush on you is super duper _big!_ ]"

Scraggy chuckled. "[Huh, really? Explains what I heard from Crustle, with the nuzzling…]"

She nodded rapidly. "[Yup! She wants Pikachu _reaaaal_ bad! Like, more than I want Dawn's delicious, tasty poffins down my little throat real bad!]"

"[That's real, real bad!]" Axew interjected in surprise. He paused. "[… In a good way, real bad.]"

Pikachu resisted the urge to groan. Why did everyone think this? Someone as affectionate as Buneary would've told him about her feelings long ago if she'd had any, wouldn't she? "[Well… believe what you want to believe, you guys…]" He shook his head. "[Anyway, no, I'm getting apples so that Emolga will go help me find Buneary. She's gone missing recently, so I wanna go find her.]"

Pachirisu inhaled sharply. "[What? _Missing!?]"_

"[That doesn't sound good!]" Axew added worriedly. "[Where'd she go?]"

"[Heh, if I knew that, I wouldn't be searching…]" Pikachu muttered amusedly. "[Don't worry, though, I'll find her. Still, if you spot her at all, lemmie know, alright?]"

"[You got it, Pikachuuu!]" Pachirisu exclaimed.

"[Okay then! Yeah, you got it!]" Axew chimed in.

"[It's not like I'm paying attention to the rambling, so sure…]" Scraggy said with a shrug.

Axew frowned. "[Hey, Pachirisu's stories are cool and aren't rambling. Don't be mean, Scraggy!]"

Scraggy crossed his arms and huffed. "[Oh, whatever, Axew. You have weird tastes.]"

"[Teehee, he has the greatest of great, great tastes if you ask me!]" Pachirisu chimed, beaming brightly.

Axew smiled at her. "[That's great!]"

Pikachu also smiled. "[Sure is. Thanks, you guys!]" He moved passed them and went into Ash's tent. Finding his backpack, he rummaged around in it until he found a big plastic bag. Satisfied, he left the tent and walked past everyone. He turned around, preparing himself to say goodbye… though he stalled when something came to mind. "[Oh, hey, do, er… any of you know somewhere I can find an apple tree?]"

"[Oh, yeah, there's a place over there,]" Scraggy said, pointing in a general direction. Looking towards it, Pikachu saw a forest in the distance. "[I was picking some earlier, before Emolga could eat them all, or something.]"

Pachirisu looked very confused. "[ _Ehhhh!?_ But you said you wanted to pick some for Emolga-]"

"[Sh-Shut up, squirrel! I ate them!]" Scraggy shouted, face reddening.

"[Sh-Shutting up,]" she squeaked. Axew only snickered lightly at the reptile.

Pikachu sighed lightly. How subtle… "[Yeah, um… fair enough. Thanks, Scraggy. And thanks, guys!]"

They gave their replies before saying some farewells, which Pikachu returned. Happy with that, he turned on his heel and started towards the forest.

"[So, Pachirisu… d'you have any more stories?]" Axew asked, sounding excited.

"[Oh, do I ever!]" she replied just as excitedly. "[Let's talk about Pikachu and Buneary and how they wanna PikaBun the very best like no one ever did!]"

"[Yay!]"

"[Oh no…]" Scraggy moaned.

Face slowly warming, Pikachu seconded that thought. Everyone was so obsessed…

He shrugged as he left the camp, going out of earshot. Well, there were worse things they could be obsessed with, he supposed.

* * *

Still carrying the plastic bag, Pikachu stopped to scan the trees surrounding him.

… He sighed. Still nothing. Man, he was starting to think that there wasn't a single useful thing in this place. He couldn't even find any _berries_ that were apple-like.

Of course, as he searched for apples, he kept an eye out for Buneary, too. Unfortunately, he wasn't having any luck there, either. All in all, this little expedition was proving to be a waste of time.

Deciding to take a break for a minute, he propped himself against a rock. From where he was, the view of the woods was quite nice. Bright, warm sunshine illuminated the area, showing off the vibrant colors of the forest.

Buneary would've loved it here. She greatly enjoyed pretty things, and it didn't get much prettier than this. Not counting her prettiness, of course. There was no topping that.

… Pikachu's face instantly broke out into a flush. Oh man, where the heck had _that_ thought come from?

Well… he'd not been wrong. He… actually did find her attractive, which was weird. He'd almost _never_ cared about a girl's appearance before. He just wasn't into that sort of stuff. Not unless someone had hit him with an Attract attack recently, anyway, like Axew had suggested. Though that could hardly count.

It was different for Buneary, though. The mouse couldn't explain it, but there was something about her looks that he really liked. Did he like her shiny fur? The bouncy fluff that surrounded her? Her bubbly, feminine demeanor? He didn't know at all. Either way, it was embarrassing. Looking at her always made his insides feel funny… which always made his cheeks shine way brighter than what could be considered natural. Something that only made everyone tease him more.

Things hadn't always been that way, though. He'd only come to realize this in Sinnoh, a short while before Dawn had stopped being a part of the team. It'd made it very hard for him to handle the bunny's nuzzles and hugs without mentally breaking down…

He sighed. Why did she have to be so obsessed with hugging him, anyway? Maybe it was just a 'Team Dawn' thing. Piplup wasn't shy about hugging him every once in a while, and neither was Pachirisu or Togekiss. Heck, even Dawn herself was the type to hand out hugs! And Quilava, as cool as he tried to act, wasn't unfamiliar to doing them, either.

Yup… it was totally something about Dawn's team. Pikachu wouldn't be surprised if Mamoswine started cuddling everything in sight, too. Something that sounded terrifying, honestly.

It was still strange, though… Buneary had even gotten touchy-feely with the mouse before she'd joined Dawn's team, so… Ugh, he just didn't get it.

"[So, are you gonna say hi, or what?]" a feminine voice from behind said suddenly.

Pikachu nearly jumped a foot into the air. "[Wah! H-Holy moly!]" he yelled, heart beating out of his chest. Turning around and looking up, he came face to face with a familiar green snake, who was lying on top of the rock and glaring down at him. "[Oh, er, haha! Snivy, it's just you,]" he greeted sheepishly.

She rolled her eyes. "[Nice to see you, too...]"

Calming his breathing, he rubbed the back of his head. "[Sorry... my mind was somewhere completely different, there.]"

She shook her head and whispered, "[Hopeless…]" under her breath, just loudly enough for him to hear.

Not knowing what else to say, he just awkwardly stood there for a while. "[So, er… how're you?]"

"[I was fine until _someone_ decided to disturb my nap.]"

"[Oh, s-sorry…]" Man, he could almost get goose bumps from the ice in her attitude.

"[What brings you so far out here, anyway?]" she continued. "[Aren't you usually hanging around our trainer, or whatever?]"

"[Yeah, but not today,]" he replied. "[I'm looking for my friend, Buneary.]" His ears drooped. "[I'm not having much luck, though…]"

"[… Oh, right. Well, I'm afraid I haven't seen her. I doubt I'd miss someone that overly cheerful.]"

"[Alright. Well, thanks anyway…]" He turned away. Before he could leave, though, something else came to mind, making him face her again. "[Oh, actually, I had something else I wanted to ask.]"

She raised an eyebrow questioningly. "[Hm?]"

"[Have you seen any apple trees around here? I've been looking for a while, but I haven't found a single one.]"

"[Let me guess. Emolga?]"

He chuckled sheepishly. "[Yeah. Emolga. She said she'd help me find Buneary if I brought some apples.]"

She groaned. "[Stupid squirrel. She's always doing this…]" After a pause, she shrugged. "[Well, at least she didn't use Attract for once, I guess. Though you do know that she's still playing you for a fool, right?]"

"[Probably… but if it means I have a chance of seeing Buneary again, then I'll still do it. She's my friend, and I'll do whatever it takes to spend time with her.]"

Her normally hard look softened for a second. Afterwards she slid off the rock and started walking somewhere. "[Alright, fine, I know a place. Follow me.]"

He gave her a surprised look. "[Really? Are you sure?]"

She turned to look at him. "[If I wasn't, I would've gone back to sleep.]" She turned away again. "[… I hate helping Emolga. Even indirectly. But I suppose I can. Just this once.]"

He smiled. "[Thanks, Snivy.]"

She huffed softly. "[You owe me for this, you know.]"

His shoulders drooped slightly. "[Yeah… I know.]"

* * *

Pikachu wiped some sweat off his brow as he continued to drag his big bag of apples along. He'd picked plenty, so he was having a hard time carrying the thing out of the forest.

After all the work he'd been through, he really hoped that Emolga had some news for him. If she didn't, then oh well… she'd tried, at least. That is, unless she'd decided to just take a nap somewhere and then lie to him when he got back. If she tried that trick, then he'd make sure to 'accidentally' give her _cooked_ apples instead…

As he continued to drag the bag past a bush, he heard something. Straining his ears, he recognized what it was immediately.

"[Meloetta's _my_ girl! Go get your own!]" a boyish voice rang out.

"[No way! She's _miiiine_!]" a much more feminine voice replied loudly.

Sighing, Pikachu exasperatedly shook his head. Were Oshawott and Piplup _still_ going at it? Peeking around the bush, he saw exactly what he'd expected to see: both of them smacking at each other with their paws and flippers. Yep, they were…

Floating above them was Meloetta, who had a bemused look on her face. If they hadn't been impressing her before, then they certainly weren't _now._

Rolling his eyes, Pikachu got ready to continue dragging the bag to its destination. However, he paused as Meloetta smiled and said something unexpected. "[Who wants a hug~?]" she asked, spreading her arms.

Immediately, they both dropped their fight and snapped to attention.

"[I do! I do!]" Oshawott exclaimed with a dreamy look in his eyes.

Piplup shoved into him, his eyes just as star-filled. "[I do even more~!]"

Frowning, Oshawott began pushing back. "[I do _way_ more!]"

Scowling, Piplup pushed even harder. "[I do the _most_!]"

"[I d-!]"

Before the otter could respond, Meloetta moved forwards and wrapped her arms around the both of them. "[You can _both_ have one!]"

After a small pause, they both made extremely contented noises before hugging her right back.

She gave a small giggle. "[There we go. No need for any more fighting, right? We're all friends~]"

Both rivals vigorously agreed with her, though the mouse didn't buy it for a second. It was pretty obvious that they were never going to stop fighting _that_ easily. This was just a temporary truce to get on her good side _and_ earn a free hug while they were at it.

While chuckling at the fact that Oshawott and Piplup were hugging her in a way that made them link arms accidentally, Pikachu went back to dragging his bag along.

After a small while, he slowed as he realized something. It was very similar to how Buneary acted around him, wasn't it? In fact, the whole thing was reminiscent of stuff she'd often do. The enthusiastic hugging, the contented noises whenever they were close, the constant praise, reacting to his compliments as if he'd given her the Holy Grail… and a lot more, too.

Yeah, she was very much like Oshawott and Piplup. Unlike the Meloetta-obsessed duo, though, she never seemed to do these things just to inflate her own ego, or to find a rival to bash. She seemed pretty sincere about it. It really _was_ like she had a crush on the mouse...

... Pikachu chuckled awkwardly to himself. Gosh, everyone's comments must have really been getting to him, lately. If he wasn't careful, he'd probably end up proposing to her, next.

Either way, he was happy having her as a friend… and he didn't want to ruin that by jumping the gun and asking questions that would creep her out. He'd never be able to live with that, and not just because it would be embarrassing. If she never wanted to speak to him again, he would miss her quirkiness so much. Even if she _did_ have a strange habit of getting dreamy-eyed over little things.

Heh. That was something about her that'd never changed, he supposed. She'd calmed down a lot over the time he'd known her, but his compliments still made her squeal in delight. At least, since the last time he'd been able to give her one. She was incredibly odd that way. Still… it was one of the things he liked the most about her. That strange, yet fun, starry-eyed eagerness had brought a fun element to his days. An element that he'd really missed during his adventures in Unova.

How she'd managed to skip his mind throughout the week was anyone's guess. Especially since, if he had to be honest… she'd been the one that he'd missed the most out of all his Sinnoh friends. Perhaps even more so than Piplup, in some ways. The penguin was a great pal. One of his best, even… but the bunny still managed to warm Pikachu's spirits more than Piplup ever could.

Wait… Piplup… Yeah, that'd been it, hadn't it? Piplup and Oshawott's Meloetta-inspired antics had been incredibly distracting. So much so that the mouse hadn't had time to even _notice_ the bunny's absence, let alone _worry_ about it. Maybe… _that_ was another reason she'd gone missing? Thinking that he wasn't interested in spending time with her, anymore? Maybe… but… she had plenty of friends already, so what would make _him_ special?

Then again, it was like he'd thought, before, he supposed. She made him feel like a million poffins, so maybe… he made her feel the same way? If that were the case, then… poor Buneary…

He closed his eyes and gave a long breath. Opening them again, he nodded determinedly. He'd slacked off on their friendship, sure, but he was going to make up for it. The next time they met, he was going to do his best to spend as much time with her as he could, no matter how much he was teased for it. And no matter how many shenanigans happened. That was a promise!

A grin plastered on his face, he continued his journey back to Emolga. As he went along, he decided to remember times he'd spent with his dear friend. Like the time they'd explored the plains together to find their friends, before eating some bluk berries and getting lost in a dark cave… or the time they'd wandered through that one maze together, along with Happiny, before having a flower picnic… or the time they'd gone for a swim together, and had gotten completely drenched because of Piplup and Pachirisu's shenanigans… or the time they'd been chased by a rotom during their visit to the Old Chateau, and they'd comforted each other whenever they'd not been running away… and so much more.

As the memories flowed by… the heavy bag behind him somehow didn't feel so tiring to carry anymore. In fact, he even had a spring to his step. He just couldn't explain this feeling…

… but he liked it.

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED!**

* * *

 **Finished:**

 **Older stuff:** 03/04 (April)/2015

 **Newer stuff:** 07/01 (January)/2018

 **Word count:** 3,039

 **VGS2's pointless notes:** Pikachu's the real fruit here! Haha... **  
**

... Yeah, I don't have any real comments today. XP I guess I should mention that the section with Pachirisu and her lads is totally new. So make sure you read that, if nothin' else!

 **Shameless promotion:** Today, I'm-a givin' a shout out to **ChristianDragon!** He's the first ever person to post a serious lagomorphshipping story, don't'cha know? Well... the first anime-based one, anyway..

Other than that, he's got a good reboot of his OC story going on, right now. you should go and give it a review, or something, because he's running dry on 'em for it. On that note, go and read/review everything else of his you like, too! Should be fun times for ya! :P

 **Fun mistake/s of the day: #1:** "Like, more than I want Dawn's delicious, tasty poffins **don't** my throat!]"

(Oh, lord, what are they doing to your throat, Pachirisu!? O,o)

 **#2** : 'He turned around, preparing himself to say goodbye… though he stalled when something came to **mine**.'

(What, are Pikachu's friends playing Minecraft, or something?)

Tata for now! c:

* * *

 **Next up:** _Juicy secrets_


	7. Getting A Clue

**Chapter 7:** _Getting A Clue_

* * *

"[Alright, Emolga, here I am!]" Pikachu called out, standing next to the tree where he'd originally found her.

Seconds later, the squirrel peered over one of the branches. "[Aha! I was wondering where you'd gotten off to! Did'ja bring the goods?]"

Nodding, he stepped aside and spread an arm out, gesturing towards the bag of apples.

The second she saw them, a look of wonderment overcame her. "[Ooh, baby~! Not bad!]" She hopped off the branch and glided down, stopping next to the mouse. Once she landed, she gave the bag a look over. She seemed to almost drool at the sight of them. "[Ooh, so bright and red… Man, you've hit a gold mine, here! It almost makes up for making me wait for so long~]"

He gave a sheepish look. "[Eheh, sorry. I got caught up in a few things.]"

She chuckled. "[Well, I guess I can forgive you _thiiiis_ time…]"

He tried not to shake his head in exasperation. "[Thanks…]"

"[So, how'd you find these, anyway?]"

He paused. Considering the squirrel's rivalry with Snivy, he wasn't sure if it would be a good idea to mention the snake's involvement. After a short while, he shrugged dismissively. "[Er, lots of luck.]"

She gave a quick shrug herself, as if accepting the answer. Afterwards, she moved to grab an apple.

Before she could grab one, he put his hand on the bag, blocking her paw. "[Before you chow down, however…]"

She gave a small whine. "[Can't it wait? I'm famished!]"

"[And I really wanna know where Buneary is! C'mon, Emolga…]"

She crossed her arms and pouted. "[Hmph! Alright, fiiine… Well…]" Suddenly, an odd look flashed across her face. Afterwards, she put the back of her paw to her forehead, looking dismayed. "[Actually, I almost forgot! Oh no, Pikachu, it's terrible! Absolutely _terrible_!]"

Eyes widening, he snapped to attention. "[What's the matter?]"

"[It's… it's Buneary! Something happened to her!]"

His heart skipped a beat. "[Seriously!? What happened?]"

"[It was Team Rocket! They've kidnapped her and thrown her into an… ice-proof cage!]"

His chest tightened in terror. Oh, Arceus, no… _not Buneary_.

Making strange breathing noises, Emolga held her paws to her mouth. "[She kept screaming your name and trying to break through the bars, but it was no use! Y-You've gotta - pffft - go save her!]"

Almost growling, he scowled. This was low, even for _them_! His cheeks began to spark. He swore, if they'd hurt Buneary at all…!

Before he could run off and track them down, Emolga made a lot of weird exhaling noises through her nose. Afterwards, she… burst out laughing?

… The electricity in his cheeks died down, as did his rapidly beating heart. His scowl, however, didn't.

Of course. He should have known…

"[Hahaha! Oh man, the look on your face,]" she said, wiping a tear away. "[Priceless stuff.]"

"[ _Emolga_!]" he shouted, his cheeks burning in anger. "[That wasn't funny at all! I was seriously worried just then!]"

His outburst made her flinch. Afterwards, she rolled her eyes. "[Oh, puh-leese. You think I'd be so calm after seeing something like that? And seriously, 'Ice-proof cage'? You're so gullible.]"

He crossed his arms and grumbled in annoyance. "[Well… still! That was just pure evil…]" He pouted. "[… Besides, I wouldn't put it past 'em to try an ice-proof cage…]"

She smirked. "[That aside… it was pretty adorable, actually. I've never seen you get so worked up over someone before~. Before you got mad, you looked like you'd been told that the world was ending.]"

His cheeks began to burn for a different reason. "[Yeah, well… sh-she's my friend. Of course I was worried…]"

She sniggered. "['Friend', eh? I don't think you'd have acted that way for anyone else. Not unless it was Ash. Heck, y'know what? I don't even think _he_ would've gotten that treatment.]"

Groaning, he turned away. "[… Well, there's your apples, anyway.]" He started walking away. He should've known he wasn't going to get anywhere with the squirrel.

He heard Emolga sigh behind him. "[Alright, alright, I'm sorry. Look, I really do have some news for ya. Just quit being a grouch.]"

He gave her a side glance, raising an eyebrow. "[No kidding?]"

"[No kidding! While flying through the sky, I actually saw her. Minus the kidnapping, of course.]"

His ears perked up. She looked sincere enough. This time. "[Really? Where is she?]"

She grinned. "[Hehe, that caught your attention, didn't it~? Well, I saw her near the camp, around some place filled with bushes. They have some bright flowers on 'em, so ya can't miss it.]"

He nodded and smiled brightly, turning to start in that direction. "[Alright, awesome! Thanks!]"

"[Oh, hey, hold up a sec, Romeo!]" Emolga said, causing him to face her. "[That's not all I've got for ya.]"

His shoulders slumped in exasperation. "[Why does everyone keep calling me that...?]"

She giggled. "[Oh, gee, I wonder~?]"

"[Ugh... well, whatever. What else have you got?]" he asked, not bothering to hide a groan.

"[I landed nearby and walked over to the bush she was hiding in, to let her know you were looking around for her. Before I could chat with her, though, I heard something… juicy. Maybe even juicier than these apples~]"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "[Huh? What's that?]"

She stroked her chin in thought. "[Heh, well…]"

"[Wait, you're not gonna start telling me her secrets, are you?]" he interrupted, suddenly concerned. "[I don't wanna pry into her private life if it's… y'know. Private.]"

Emolga shrugged while grinning. "[Oh, don't worry. They're a little personal, but something inside tells me she'll want you to know 'em.]"

He mumbled wearily, still not entirely convinced. Then, looking around to make sure nobody else was nearby, he sighed and nodded. "[Well, alright, I guess. Don't tell anyone else, though, alright?]"

"[Don't worry, my lips are sealed,]" she replied, doing a 'zip up' gesture with her paws over her lips.

He gave a small smile. "[Okay, cool, thanks. So, what've you got for me?]"

Emolga began to stroke her chin again. "[Alright, well…]"

* * *

 _Riding the winds high in the sky, Emolga scanned the lands under her, looking for Pikachu's little crush. To be honest, she could have easily found some apples herself, saving Pikachu some work... but just where was the fun in that?_

 _... That and, aside from not feeling like getting them herself, or using Attract on some unwitting boys to make them do it for her... part of her actually wanted to help the obviously love-struck mouse. She'd never seen him look so distressed for someone else's wellbeing before. Not even Ash's, really... so she felt obligated to help out._

 _Besides, it was kind of cute that Pikachu had an obvious crush on someone. He'd always been a real prudish mouse, so Emolga never thought she'd've seen the day where he would actually care about a girl. Romantically, anyway. This 'Buneary' must have been a really special pokémon, that was for sure..._

 _Well, either that or he really liked dominant women. It would explain a lot, if that were the case. The rabbit seemed to be like Pikachu's polar opposite when it came to affection, choosing to be forward instead of overly skittish and flustered about it. Emolga had only seen that side of her once, during their first meeting with Dawn's gang, but it had stuck in her mind. For a short while, it'd looked like they were a freaking couple… despite how awkward the mouse had been about it afterwards, being the prudish guy he was._

 _It didn't escape the squirrel's notice that Buneary clearly had a thing for him, too. Heck, when she'd brought it up with the other pokémon in Dawn's team, most of- No, all of them had agreed that the rabbit clearly liked Pikachu as more than a friend. Well, except for that large flying-type, but the look on her face had told her everything she'd needed to know._

 _Still, Emolga wasn't mean enough to go spreading romantic rumors around. At least, not until she knew they were true, without a doubt. Well, maybe while allowing one or two doubts..._

* * *

Pikachu's face heated up. Oh, legends, as if he needed more of this... "[H-Hey! What're you implying, anyway?]" he asked flusteredly.

Emolga stopped talking to grin at him. "[I'm not implying anything, hon. I'm straight up saying it. You're both crushing hard on each other. It's as clear as daylight.]"

He groaned loudly. "[Alright, seriously, why does _everyone_ on the planet seem to think something's going on between us? We're _just_ friends!]"

She gave him an odd look. "[… Well now. No need to get so defensive about it. I'm just sayin'…]"

He let out a breath. "[Sorry, it's just… everyone and their grandmother seems to think she's in love with me, or something, but she isn't! She's affectionate, sure, but that doesn't mean anything...]"

She scratched her chin. "[... How about you? Do _you_ like _her_?]"

He looked away, feeling shy all of a sudden. "[What... w-what kind of question is that? I don't... I mean, she's a good friend, sure, but...]"

"[If she was interested in dating you, would you care?]"

"[Er, I-I dunno… Well, I mean, if she wanted to, then... but…]" He cleared his throat and shook his head. "[N-Never mind! Why do you care, anyway?]"

She stared at him, almost as if she were studying him. Before he could say anything about it, she smiled. "[... Heh. Well, anyway, shall I continue?]"

He gave her a confused look before sighing and nodding. If it would stop the teasing, then whatever.

She gave a nod of her own. "[So yeah, I was flying through the sky...]"

* * *

 _Flying close to the campsite, Emolga scanned the bush-filled area nearby. She remembered briefly seeing Buneary in camp during breakfast, and this place was real close... so maybe she'd wandered over near here at some point? Emolga had no idea why she would've chosen to hide away over here instead of spending time with Pikachu, but hey. As forward as the rabbit had been, Emolga had sensed a little bit of shyness from her, too. Before the nuzzling incident, she'd hidden behind that big pig's leg… and had only come out after being invited to do so by the mouse himself. So hiding away didn't seem out of the ordinary for her._

 _After less than a minute of searching the area, Emolga spotted some odd colors amongst the bushes below. Curious, she glided closer to the ground._

 _As she got close enough to see through the gaps in the thick, flowery shrubbery, she grinned widely. She'd found her!_

 _Her mission accomplished, Emolga considered going back to the tree where she'd met Pikachu, eager to claim her reward. As she began to ascend, though, she hesitated. She had done what she'd said she'd do, which was simply finding Buneary and reporting back... but she wondered if she could help any further, by letting the rabbit know about Pikachu's search for her._

 _It would probably take more effort than Emolga was willing to put in... but heck, she was feeling strangely generous today, so why not? Besides, maybe afterwards, Pikachu might feel grateful enough to bring her even more apples for all her hard work…!_

 _Moving quickly, she went into a nosedive towards the ground next to the bushes that Buneary was hiding inside. Nearing the ground, she swooped upwards suddenly, which broke her momentum. With that, she made a graceful landing on her feet._

 _Walking near the bushes, she made a move to part the shrubbery and go through. Before she did, however, she heard a voice that didn't sound like it belonged to Buneary at all._

 _Curious, Emolga slowly peeked through the bushes, careful not to make a sound. As she looked through, she, much to her surprise, saw another pokémon, who seemed to be talking to the rabbit._

 _The pokémon was Dawn's white, beak-less birdy pokémon, who looked to be nearly three times Buneary's size. She should have been easy enough to spot from the sky, so Emolga had no idea how she'd missed the flying-type. That said, the way all of the bushes in the area were clumped together seemed to provide some decent shelter… so she must have been barely out of view, or something._

 _The bird, whose name Emolga had forgotten, was giving the rabbit a sad, sympathetic look, as if troubled by something. Emolga didn't blame her, either. Looking at Buneary, she noticed that the girl almost seemed like she had a dark cloud hanging over her. Her eyes were puffy, her ears were drooped, her head was low... Heck, even her fluff seemed to be less springy than it should have been._

 _All in all, she was in a terrible state. Man, just what was wrong with this girl?_

* * *

"[Wait... w-what?]" Pikachu started, his ears dipping. "[She was... sad?]"

He could hardly believe it. Sad? She was sad? But... why?

She didn't sound _slightly_ sad, either. No, she sounded... miserable.

"[Yeah, she wasn't looking too good,]" Emolga replied, frowning slightly. "[Don't think I've ever seen someone look so dejected. Maybe 'cept for Oshawott, after a particularly bad rejection, but you know what he's like.]"

He nodded slightly, barely taking the last part in. So... something really _had_ been upsetting Buneary? His face fell in concern. She was prone to getting a little upset sometimes, sure, but not like this... "[But... why? What's gotten her so... depressed?]"

Emolga twiddled her fingers. "[Hmm... well, I'll tell you, I guess. Don't think you'll like the answer, though.]"

"[I... I won't?]" he asked, suddenly nervous. "[Why not?]"

"[Well...]"

* * *

 _Curiosity piqued, Emolga listened intently. Maybe listening to them would clear up this little mystery._

 _"[C'mon, Buneary, please talk to me,]" the bird, apparently called Togekiss, said. "[I thought you were overjoyed to be here with Pikachu… so why're you hiding away, all down in the dumps? Is everything okay?]"_

 _Buneary's head dipped even lower as she continued to stare at the ground._

 _"[Ohh… unless… Is it… because **of** Pikachu?]" the bird continued._

 _The rabbit sighed. "[… Yeah.]"_

 _Emolga's eyes widened in surprise. It was… Pikachu's fault? Really? Oh, man... what had that guy done, now? He wasn't the kind of guy to act like a jerk, especially not to someone he clearly had the hots for... so this was pretty strange. Still, it explained why Pikachu hadn't seen the girl for so long. She must've been avoiding him._

 _Well, whatever the mouse had done, whether it'd been an accident or something done on purpose… it couldn't have been good._

 _Emolga held back a sigh. The situation was far more serious than she'd expected, that much was for sure…_

* * *

Pikachu's heart stopped dead in his chest. "[She's depressed… because of me…?]" His ears went flat across his skull. "[And she's been missing from the group because she… wants to avoid me?]"

"['Fraid so,]" Emolga responded, frowning sadly.

"[I… don't understand… What did I do?]"

"[Well… to quote something she said a little later…]" She cleared her throat before quoting Buneary, doing her best to imitate the rabbit's voice. "['He wasn't happy to see me when I said 'hi' to him. No, he wasn't excited at all. That pretty much said everything…']" Her voice went back to normal. "[A little paraphrased, I'll admit, but that was basically it.]"

His head jolted back. "[Huh? No, that's not true at all! I wasn't unhappy, I was really excited! How could she think that!?]"

"[Didn't come across that way, to be fair. Remember when she nuzzled you? And how you tried to direct your attention away from her, for some reason?]"

He paused, his eyes slowly widening. Of course. He'd tried to direct his attention to everything but her at that point, if only so that his face wouldn't flush bright red again. Had doing that instead of returning her affectionate gesture upset her?

"[Why'd you do that, anyway?]" Emolga continued. "[Most guys don't usually try to ignore a cute girl nuzzling 'em. Especially when they're such good friends with 'em.]"

"[I… I was embarrassed…]" he muttered, his voice shaky. "[Everyone was watching, and… it felt really weird, too, and…]"

"[Well, it's no surprise that she was so upset, then,]" she interrupted, putting a paw on her hip. "[She clearly likes you a lot, so to get ignored by you just because you were embarrassed… And after not seeing you for so long, too…]"

Her words caused a pang of guilt to stab through his heart, making him groan in distress. She was right. She was completely right. Ohh, no wonder Buneary felt like dirt. He'd treated her that way, just to protect his stupid ego…

Noticing his growing misery, Emolga's features softened. "[Heyyy, cheer up, man.]" She moved over to gently rub his back. "[It's not like you slapped her in the face or anything, yeah? This is all just a big misunderstanding. Nothing else.]"

He took a slow breath. "[I… guess… Still, she feels horrible, and it's all because of me being a selfish jerk...]"

She gave a small smirk. "[Heh, not sounding so selfish to me right now. You clearly care a lot for this girl, so I bet you can fix this.]"

He nodded, ears straightening. "[Yeah. I'll set things right, somehow. I've just got to.]" He started moving in the direction of the camp.

Before he could get very far, Emolga flew over and landed in front of him, stopping him in his tracks. "[Whoa, there! I haven't finished gossiping yet, y'know.]"

"[You haven't? But what else is there to say?]" His ears dipped again. "[Don't tell me something else is getting her down.]"

Much to his surprise, a grin spread across her face. "[Oh, you have no idea…]"

* * *

 _Wondering if there was a reason for Pikachu's unknown actions, Emolga continued to listen intently._

 _For the longest time, Togekiss said nothing, almost seeming completely taken aback. Eventually, though, she tilted her head. Well, that was to say, she tilted her body. "[But… why? I thought you really adored him.]"_

 _"[I do, I really do! It's just that I don't…]" Her uncurled ear went limp. "[I don't think he'll return my feelings for him at all.]"_

 _Togekiss' face fell. "[Awww, really? B-But why are you having thoughts like this now? You've been really confident up until now.]"_

 _"[… Well, you saw… you saw what happened,]" Buneary responded quietly. "[When I met up with him again.]"_

 _Emolga's eyes widened. Oh… well, this explained a whole lot._

 _"[… Umm, I'm sorry, dear, I don't know what-]"_

 _"[The nuzzling,]" Buneary interrupted. "[He… I made him really uncomfortable with it. And if **that** made him feel uncomfortable… well… y'know.]"_

 _The flying-type still seemed confused. When Buneary rubbed her arm in embarrassment, however, she seemed to get it. "[Ohh, riiight… Um, yeah. Yes. That's a... little problem.]"_

 _"[No kidding...]"_

* * *

Pikachu's brain screeched to a halt. Wait. What.

… What, what, _what_. Feelings…? _Feelings_!?

Probably seeing the look on his face, Emolga stopped talking and began to smirk widely. "[Haha! Oh, man, you've got no idea how much I was looking forward to seeing _this_ reaction!]"

Pikachu tried to respond, though no sound could come out.

Buneary… had feelings for _him_?

Eventually, after what seemed like a long time, he found his voice. "[… E-Err… no. No way, I… must be m-misunderstanding. Sh-She can't have feelings… I-I-I'm… W-We're not…]"

Emolga let out a drawn-out groan. "[Oh, legends, you're freaking dim! She just admitted it! Not to me, granted, but still! What more do you need?]"

After a pause, Pikachu caught his train of thought, though barely. "[But if she has feelings for me, why would she never tell me? It makes no sense!]"

She shrugged. "[Shyness? Nervous about getting rejected? I dunno, there's probably hundreds of reasons for it, so you'll just have to ask her later.]" She winked. "[… Once you're together~]"

His heart made a noticeably harder thump than usual at hearing those words. Once they were together…? "[I don't… I-I don't know if that's…]"

Emolga rolled her eyes, though she kept smiling. "[How 'bout I keep going before you make any judgments?]"

With yet another pause, Pikachu slowly nodded.

She nodded back. "[Alright, good! Now then…]"

* * *

 _So, Buneary had a huge crush on the mouse, did she? Emolga couldn't exactly say she was surprised, especially after that affectionate display from a few days ago… but she was confused about something. This girl seemed very forward, so why wouldn't she have told Pikachu about her feelings, yet? As far as Emolga knew, it was looking like Pikachu himself was completely oblivious to this girl's feelings. Especially if his comments before going apple-hunting were anything to go by._

 _That said, she was a shy one... That probably had something to do with it. It didn't explain why she'd suddenly decided to get sad now, though._

 _Unless… had Pikachu obliviously rejected her recently, or something? Knowing him, it sounded about right. He'd almost seemed in denial about her crush on him... so it wouldn't be surprising if he'd said something insensitive by accident._

 _"[I-It's probably hopeless…]" Buneary continued suddenly, fiddling with her waist fluff._

 _"[C'mon, dear. You don't know that for sure…]" Togekiss replied, moving closer._

 _Tears began to appear in Buneary's eyes. "[He was really unhappy to see me when I said 'hi' to him. I thought he'd be excited, but he wasn't, not one bit. That pretty much says it all…]" Her ear dipped even further as she burst into tears. "[If he can't accept me now, then he'll never accept me. I guarantee it...!]"_

 _With a yelp of surprise, Togekiss quickly moved over to wrap a wing around her. "[N-No, no, no! No way, that's not true! He, er... y'know...]"_

 _Despite feeling bad for the rabbit, Emolga couldn't help but feel satisfied as it all came together. Aha, of course! After being nuzzled by the rabbit, Pikachu had looked extremely uncomfortable. Especially once everyone had begun to chuckle at him. Had Buneary taken it as a form of rejection?_

 _Knowing him, he'd probably just been flustered because everyone had been watching, but Emolga could see where Buneary was coming from. Especially since, after meeting her again for the first time in months, his first instinct had been to look away and pretend she hadn't been there. That would've upset anyone with a crush…_

 _Togekiss perked up suddenly. "[Oh, oh, yes! Wasn't he the one who'd called you over to say hi? And excitedly, at that?]" she asked._

 _Tears slowing, Buneary gave a small shrug. "[I guess…]"_

 _"[Exactly! He was probably just embarrassed, not unhappy. You know how easily flustered the poor man can get, especially in a big crowd like that one. If you were to do the same thing in a more private area, I think he would be absolutely fine with it.]"_

 _"[… Maybe...]"_

 _"[You just have to give him a chance. Just sit him down somewhere quiet and have a talk with him. He'll act far less embarrassed, I'm sure.]"_

 _Emolga huffed silently. She doubted that…_

 _Regardless, Buneary looked up at the flying-type, seeming unsure. "[B-But… what about the…?]"_

 _Togekiss began to smile comfortingly. "[I'm sure he won't mind returning your feelings after you tell him, with enough time. He might act a little shocked at first, knowing him, but he'll come to accept you. I just know it, sweetie.]"_

 _Tears slowing to a stop, Buneary began to look down at the ground again, seeming conflicted._

 _Emolga tilted her head at that. After a short pause, she shrugged. They were probably just talking about the rabbit's crush on him. Man, Buneary needed to get some lessons on confidence really soon._

 _As the thought set in, though, Emolga couldn't help but smirk. Gossiping back to Pikachu about this sounded like a good idea, actually. Usually, she wouldn't tell someone that another pokémon had a big crush on them… but she got the feeling that this was the only way these two were gonna get anywhere with this, so why not try playing Cupid? Anything to both cheer this girl up and get Pikachu to stop acting like a romantic dunce, for once in his life._

 _"[Um… shall I give you some time to think about it, dear?]" Togekiss asked, offering Buneary a comforting smile._

 _After a short pause, the rabbit nodded. "[Y-Yes, please. I… I'll try not to hide away anymore, but I need to think about some stuff, first.]"_

 _The flying-type smiled before taking a few steps back. "[Fair enough, my dear. Take all the time you need, and I'll see you later.]"_

 _Buneary smiled back. "[Thanks, Togekiss.]"_

 _"[Happy to help, dear,]" Togekiss replied before taking off into the air._

 _As she flew off to parts unknown, Buneary sighed loudly and continued to sit, her head now contemplatively resting on her paws._

 _Satisfied with her snooping, Emolga went a safe distance away from the bushes to avoid detection from either Buneary or Togekiss. Afterwards, she caught the wind on her membranes before flying off into the sky, ready to go and tell Pikachu one heck of a story..._

* * *

"[Aaaaand that's about it!]" Emolga finished, beaming widely. "[So… thoughts?]"

Pikachu's eyes went as wide as they could go. H-Holy miltank…

Buneary… really _did_ like him?

His face began to burn like fire and his heart began to beat like a set of drums.

"[Hah! Oh, I knew you'd enjoy hearing that~]" Emolga teased, grinning at him. "[The part about her crush on ya, anyway.]"

"[You... Y-Y-You'd better not be lying, Emolga!]" Pikachu said, failing miserably at trying not to stutter. "[I-I swear to... er... Z-Zapdos, you'd better not be!]"

Huffing amusedly, she trailed her fingers across her chest in a plus symbol. "[Cross my heart, Pikachu! I'd never lie about something _this_ juicy. Not even for apples.]"

Looking at the squirrel, she seemed sincere about what she'd said. Despite her love of gossiping, she wasn't known for spreading lies. At least, not anymore, so…

… Oh, Arceus…!

He tried to respond, but the only sound that could come out of his mouth was more stammering.

She smirked at him. "[Man, I don't think I've ever seen a pokémon go so red before.]"

Hearing that, he turned away to hide his face. It didn't work, though. All it did was make the squirrel giggle even harder.

As the conversation ran through Pikachu's head again, and again, he only grew more… well, he didn't know. Waves of different emotions were crashing around in his brain, and he didn't know how to handle any of them. He was so horribly confused…!

"[Heh, y'know…]" Emolga started, catching his attention, "[I've never really cared about romance, myself… but I certainly know a fluffy couple in the making when I see one!]"

There was a long pause. During it, he avoided the squirrel's gaze and tried not to stumble over, thanks to his quaking knees.

"[So, Lover Boy...]" She nudged him in the arm, "[… I'm sure you've both got _quite_ a lot to talk about, and she's in desperate need of some cheering up, so…]" She winked, "[don't keep her waiting!]"

"[… Y-Yeah. I-I won't,]" he finally managed, turning in the direction of their camp and quickly starting towards it.

As he almost got out of earshot, he could hear her whisper, "[Good, I can eat now. Jeez...]"

He ignored it, though. Right now, he only had one thing on his mind...

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED!**

* * *

 **Finished:**

 **Older stuff -** 03/04 (April)/2015

 **Newer stuff -** 24/01(January)/2018

 **Word count:** 4,585

 **VGS2's pointless notes:** Good boy, Pikachu! You've saved me from the hordes of lagomorphshippers who get ticked off when you don't catch on to her affections! Praise be!

I say this knowing full well that something else will probably annoy everyone, instead. Oh wellz… XP

Also, sorry for not replying to messages for so long, guys. I've been deathly ill lately because of flu. Not helped by having to do manual labor for a living while having it. So forgive me, peeps! D:

 **Shameless promotion:** Today, I recommend a new(ish) writer on the scene! **Zum1UDontNo!** He only has one story out at the moment, but it seems pretty great so far! The characters are all fun and quirky, and the lago duo seem like some pretty good besties, which is always cute to see. So yeah, I'd say he's worth checking out. Who knows? He may write more cute stuff in the future! But… only if you  read and review him!

On that note, be sure to go on a tour of his long-ass profile, which has loads and loads of other stories he's planning on writing one day in the future. Perhaps if you need a writing prompt to help you along with your writing, you could check out if he's put any of his stuff up for adoption! Lord knows he might be flattered if you ask him! :P

 **No fun mistake/s of the day, because I'm super fabulous at writing! :D**

Ah well, tata for now! c:

* * *

 **Next up:** _Learning how to romance!_


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